Patrick Swayze: "I'm Going Through Hell"

Patrick Swayze, who has been battling pancreatic cancer for a year, sat down with Barbara Walters for an exclusive interview that airs Wednesday night at 10 pm on ABC. Swayze has defied the tabloids that had him at death's door when his diagnosis became public.

Swayze stars in a new show "The Beast," which he filmed while fighting his cancer, which had already spread to his liver before he was even diagnosed.

"You can bet that I'm going through hell," Swayze says to Walters. "And I've only seen the beginning of it."

"There's a lot of fear here," he adds. "There's a lot of stuff going on. Yeah, I'm scared. Yeah, I'm angry. Yeah, I'm [asking] why me. Yeah, I'm all this stuff."

As for how he figured out something was wrong, it was exactly one year ago while celebrating New Year's:

"I tried to have champagne, and it would be like pouring acid, you know, on an open wound."
Soon he found "my indigestion issues got gigantic and constant. And then I started thinking, I'm getting skinny. I dropped about 20 pounds in the blink of an eye. And then when you see it in the mirror, when all of a sudden, you pull your eyes down and the bottom of your eyes go yellow and jaundice sets in -- then you know something's wrong."

He started filming "The Beast" despite the cancer, and in 5 months of filming missed only a day and a half of work, and he never took medicine for his physical pain.

"When you're shooting, you can't do drugs," Swayze tells Walters. "I can't do Hydrocodone or Vicodin or these kinds of things that take the edge off of it, 'cause it takes the edge off of your brain."

Tune in Wednesday at 10 pm for more of the interview. "The Beast" premieres on A&E on January 15.

Here's the trailer:

Comments

[hilby]

Patrick Swayze is perhaps the only Hollywood actor I find to be a genuine, truly down-to-earth person.

I hope he pulls through this.

[dancingqueen]

My mother died of pancreatic cancer 18 months after she was diagnosed. This is a horrific disease and treatment is not always effective. In dealing with my mom's death, I realized that a winner in life is someone who lives his/her life well, who gives and cares. My mom was a winner and Patrick , you are a winner too.

[livesimply]

Thank you and bless you. It's true. We never know what will take us or when, but we can be grateful that those who have so positively touched our lives will live on.

[ZimboChick]

Much love and respect your way....

[Chumleysmom]

You're braver than most of us would be. Keep on keeping on.

[salzy1]

Cancer does not discriminate: rich, poor, famous, ordinary. A horrible way to die and lose years of your precious life. Mr. Swayze's story is like countless, anonymous others. A tragedy, to be sure.

[preatorius]

Still hot!
There are people who survive pacreatic cancer.

[tcuoohjohn]

Not pancreatic cancer with multiple metastases. In Swayze's case the pancreatic cancer has spread to his liver and spleen. He's a goner....four- five months tops.

[ZimboChick]

Your are a horrible person

[conscioushope]

Have you no heart....or at a minimum, emotional intelligence?

[Meah]

Ever hear of KARMA? You will.

[Pegi]

Hang in there brave Patrick!

[trudem2]

He has a very aggressive form of cancer, and it seems he's struggling valiantly against it. Of course, being a celebrity he must have more resources than the average person....yet his suffering is so real, so poignant. I really feel sorry for this actor who I have always respected. His perserverance to continue his craft in spite of the suffering is inspiring.

[Democrab]

My first wife died of pancreatic cancer. It took one year. Thanks for the entertainment you provided us with, and many prayers to you.

[nancytheragingliberal]

I have always admired Patrick for his strength of character and his many talents. He is an inspiration.

[Adam63]

Stay strong Patrick.

[Rook119]

Pancreatic Cancer often kills w/in 6 weeks. Its one of the deadliest cancers out there. Hope he hangs in there.

[DaisyMiller]

When- what week, what day- did he get the jaundice?

when the pancreatic tumor gets big, it punches through the bile duct and the bile has to make its way out through the skin. Can you imagine living with bile all over your body? You then itch and hiccup forever. it is a terrible stage of this horrid cancer. God Bless you Patrick S. You gave us all fun.

[ConfuciusSay-]

Actually, the tumor obstructs the duct, and bile cannot exit the liver.
This can be relieved surgically by cannulating the gallbladder, and draining the bile. The symptoms are exactly as you describe, but they can be fixed.

Unfortunately, it does not impact the final outcome.

[Dukedraven]

His illness is much worse than mine, but I can totally relate to particular things he was saying. Be strong, Patrick, you'll survive this no matter what. Peace and love always

[fumes]

what's yours dukedraven?

[checkoayala]

Much love patrick....