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

[Erdgeist]

The pancreas undergoes a tremendous upheaval as regards anxiety-anger conflict with family members or loved ones (this happened with Steve Jobs and Apple). If Patrick can resolve this, in addition to cutting out other conditioning factors (e.g., cigarettes), and go through the pain (you have to go through the pain), he will end his cancer. The cancer cells are additional fast growing pancreatic cells to help aid the pancreas which is under tremendous stress right now. Keep in mind that an animal will develop stomach cancer to digest a bone that is lodged in its gut. The cancer creates additional HCl. When the bone is digested, the cancer disappears.

[dappleganger]

Hooey.

[MissKaren]

That is total bullfeathers. My cousins were not disposed to conflict. Both of them were really comfortable human beings. The danger of diagnosing by psychopathology was made clear when George Gershwin's analyst tried to "understand" the brain cancer that eventually killed him.

[loosely coupled]

This is a serious matter, keep your nonsense quackery to yourself, and perhaps read some real medical texts...

[partisanpolitico]

Oh brother. I'll take the science please.

[motherforpeace]

I suppose you are the same kind of person who thinks that Type I diabetics ate too much sugar as a child?

Get a grip.

[leatherbunny]

Some of these comments are very unwarrented. I will be very sad to see the day when Patrick Swayze is no longer on the screen entertaining all of those who love his work. I am not saying this man is a saint, but he will always have a special place in my heart from the films he made. Patrick only did what he could do and stayed honest while doing it. Those of you who can judge that kind of honesty, must really be so f'ng perfect !! Wow and how boring you must be too. The good die young, be happy you will live a long long life.

[miastella]

Blessings and relief to you Mr. Swayze. You're a real hero --- not just on film. I too, will be praying for you. Don't buy into history --- this is your experience and your destiny is different from everyone elses just as the outcome.

[luckyoldson]

There's an interesting article in today's Los Angeles Times regarding Steven Jobs and his fight with pancreatic cancer. It doesn't sound like Patrick has much time.

[leatherbunny]

I hope you are just saying that to sound like it matters to you, though if you are right he will be a screen legend. Love & Peace to Patrick Swayze and his wife and family.

[MissKaren]

There are different prognoses for cancer of the head of the pancreas and cancer of the tail of the pancreas. One is rapidly lethal and the other, when removed, is not. Both throw the hormones off so Steve Jobs may indeed be telling the truth. Patrick Swayze's looks worse.

[DevRock]

Pancreatic cancer kills within months of detection. He's had it for over a year? Something doesn't smell right. I'm sorry, but you don't last this long with that form of cancer.

[Matt7]

Tell it to God. (Since YOU'RE obviously the one controlling Swayze's life . . . )

[DevRock]

Considering I'm an atheist who doesn't believe in make-believe characters, don't think that'll work.

[helmboy]

actually, pancreatic cancer usually is a fast death sentence. my dad lost his best friend from this. That he lasted this long is wonderful. It is a painful but swift death usually. GO,
PATRICK!

[Nezua]

To see this happen to anyone...u­gh. It's scary. And heartbreaking. I don't care if he "brought it on himself." I'd rather save my wrath for the tobacco corporations or the govt that subsidizes what it knows to be a lethal process and drug. (If you've not yet read on how these companies process and sell the lethal cocktail of toxins that is "Cigarette," grab a bottle of dye and enjoy the read. It'll turn your hair white.)

I hope Ole Swayze finds some relief.

[Fudgefase]

Actors live in a high stress world where acid reflux and indigestion, even ulcers, are really common. He could have rationalised the pain when eating. There's also the weight issue - they're always watching their weight, and when they're working, they tend to burn more in nervous energy. Weight loss during filming or rehearsals is not uncommon, espcially if you've had a lot of acid recently and changed your diet to ease it. I imagine the yellow eyes were his first real red flag that something was really up.

[Flagrantlover]

I'm praying for you Patrick!!!

[hartkid]

And now a message from Patrick Swayze: "I was hard on you when you was growin' up. I did things that made you hate me. (Point Break, Roadhouse, Ghost) Now, you can see why I did. I don't want no more tears shed for me, ya hear? I'm not gonna be there for you now, you gotta look out for each other...

[TXfemmom]

The best one can hope for is a few years with constant, difficult medical interention with this disease.

Good wishes and my best to Patrick Swayze. He has continued to work while fighting this and he just has to feel like hell. What a strong man.

[Praedor]

As much as I hope Swayze the best, the ugly, sad reality is that once cancer hits one's liver, it is pretty much over. Chemo, crystals, radiation, herbs, very strong wishing, sweat lodges, meditation­...are doomed to ultimate failure. Liver cancer, of whatever type (sourced to the liver or, as in this case, metastasized from elsewhere) means the end is nigh.

[mo5]

This is simply not true.

[MissKaren]

My dad lived for six years after colon cancer had metastasized to his liver. It depends on the grade of malignancy of the tumor. My dad got a slow grower and it was three and a half years later that he even showed symptoms. Chemotherapy slowed it down further and he lived another two and a half years in relative comfort.

[queenanne]

My Father died from Pancreatic Cancer. I know what a BEAST this disease can be. However, one of the main risk factors (not the only) of Pancreatic Cancer is Smoking. I know Patrick has been a heavy smoker for years and continues to do so even after this diagnosis. Prayers are with him!

[kathy001]

It must be wonderful to live such a faultless life that you feel justified in throwing stones at people who are suffering.

[PuppetState]

I do think queenanne makes a valid, non-snarky point here, founded in her own experiences of grieving for her father. I don't think it's inconsistent to both feel terrible for Patrick Swayze and other good people afflicted with cancer, as well as hate the smoking habit that causes many cancers.

My father smoked for years, and I worry about him as well.

[MissKaren]

One of my cousins who died of pancreatic cancer smoked, the other did not. Nor did either of them drink to excess. It's a kind of mutant gene that triggers it.

[Tommi2]

My father passed from Pancreatic Cancer 44 days from diagnosis. It was horrible to witness and I took leave of all work and play to care for him with help from hospice. It was intensely rewarding and devastating to spend such time with him in his final days.
I have two other close friends who have it also. Seeing one friend at Christmas who has possibly three months left to live and is aware of what he's in for is heart wrenching. His skin color is slowly turning to a gray cast which reminded me so much of my fathers battle. Judging from his skin color I don't believe he even has the three months he believes he has.
A truly painful withering way to go. All cancer is horrible to have but Pancreatic Cancer is particularly painful to have and to witness having. It just consumes the life and spirit out of someone slowly and systematically.

[tcuoohjohn]

I have never heard of anyone who ever survived panceatic cancer with multiple metastases. Probably 100 percent fatal.

[Denemator]

I had my whipple 6.5 years ago and doing fine, they caught mine early, hence I survived thusfar. Not even need insulin or enzymes, doctor calls me a miracle. The insidious thing with Pancreatric cancer is that when symptoms start it usually is too late.

[Aabby]

you are blessed.

[blooddoc]

The five-year survival rate after a "curative" resection of pancreatic cancer is around 22%. This is because over half of patients will have a recurrence in the remaining pancreatic tissue. The five-year survival for advanced disease is around 3%. This is a bad actor for which we sorely need new and innovative therapies.

[MissKaren]

It is dangerous because most patients think it's something else. A test that would detect it early, serum bilirubin, is not often ordered as a screening test but should be done.

[bluejoewho]

I always thought this guy was a class act. Best wishes.