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

[Giada]

Heart thoughts ...difficu­lt and challenging time.

[patsijean]

I am rooting for Patrick and "The Beast".

[elr50]

Patrick Swayze is the only good thing to come out of Texas in a very long time.

[KodeBloo]

Thanks so much for totally discounting the hundreds of thousands of us who voted for Obama.

[Aabby]

he/she didn't mean it... :)

[Culturemaven]

Ummm, Shiner Bock?

[Pippen]

Patrick is an American and in particularly a Texas hero to many of us. His mother, a huge talent and gracious woman has been a herald of pure hard work and magnanimous love. Early on even before he was a nationally known figure we knew Patrick would be a superstar. He taught dance at his mother's school and he had a light of strength in his face that was undeniable.

He laments his father's passing and it hit him hard. But his courage is profound and his love for his family is so overwhelming and just watching him face each day gives millions who have cancer and disease hope and admiration.

If anyone ever deserved a break from an attack like this it's Patrick.

Our prayer and our love go out to him and his family. Keep living Pat, we believe in you bro.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Mr. Swayze godspeed and keep up the good fight. As a cancer survivor I know what you are going through and when you get through it you will be stronger and appreciate life that much more.

[truthglow]

I love Patrick, and wish him only the best. Barbara Walters, on the other hand, uses people's heartaches like this, as a way of getting viewers to watch her inept material. She is USING Patrick, and that is sad. She has been doing this for decades and it's time for her to retire.

[FZliveson]

When the going gets tough the tough get going
When the stakes are the highest, the best are fully engaged.
Patrick, you are a hero for your courage and honesty.
The light you bring to us warms our days and helps us
be better humans day by day. Thank you!

[cae]

I'm rooting for you, Patrick! You're a good, sweet person. Keep doing healthy things like diet, rest, appropriate activity, etc. And you seem to have a wonderful family too, which helps a lot. Best to you, we're rooting for you!

[booboo111]

He seemed to wait an awfully long time, with the symptoms he described, before seeking medical attention. A lesson here; when you know somethings not right, and you're not returning to normal in about three days, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION! We're not talking about a sniffle here. It might be macho to overlook some joint pain, but to lose twenty pounds, and have your eyes turn yellow before you say "maybe somethings wrong with me" is ridiculous.

[auntiecairo]

Unfortunately with pancreatic cancer an earlier diagnosis doesn't help much -- but generally you are right -- always good to check things out as early as possible

[tomas0808]

zzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzz­zz

[FZliveson]

Hey Tomaso808! Wake up. We need your wisdom, your passion and your CONSTRUCTIVE input if we're going to build a better world. Snide "snoring text" will never create the result you want, unless you seek criticism. I believe you have the ability and the desire to make a difference. So please give us all your best. You have what it takes. Thanks

[sanang]

With that attitude you must be a Repuke?

[KodeBloo]

Trust me, at some point in time either you or someone you love will be confronted with something similar to what Patrick Swayze is courageously going through now, and when that day comes let's just hope that people are kinder and more compassionate than you are being now.

[Maynerd]

My cousin died from pancreatic cancer at the very young age of 44. He was a nurse, a husband, a best friend, a son, and a wonderful father. The main issue with pancreatic cancer is that there a very few symptoms until the cancer reaches advanced stages. My cousin had belly pain, and 5 months later he was gone. I am rooting for you Patrick!!!!! You are doing great, stay strong and healthy and imagine yourself many, many years from now helping others through the pain you and your family endure now. As for tomaso808, why bother? If you don't like the posts, why must you give your negative energy? Don't read posts you're not interested in!

[HallStyle]

Just remember one thing! Karma!

[rabiddog6708]

I'm rooting for your recovery, Patrick.

[hartkid]

Point Break Karma

[jood42]

Poor guy. I can't imagine having to work through that kind of intense pain without help.

[gemcando06]

There are no easy answers to illness. Illness is part of our mortality that is kept hidden by those who love us to protect us from hurt and pain, and then hidden by those who love us to keep them from sharing the fear, shame and anger. Somewhere in between is a reality that cannot be believed or trusted because it has never been part of our experience.
Modern science has the ability to define an illness. This is not the measure of soul and spirit in each of us.

[booboo111]

Very profound. Could you explain in a way it makes sense to the rest of us.

[Aabby]

LOL

[protagonia]

Alkaline and ozone.

[Freenation]

You are a brave man...