Patrick Swayze: "I'm Going Through Hell"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Patrick Swayze: "I'm Going Through Hell"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/06/patrick-swayze-im-going-t_n_155507.html



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.

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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.

[TZ]

1. I'm amazed at how well he's doing.

I had a cousind dxed with pancreatic cancer about 15 yrs ago and she passed within 6 weeks of diagnosis...but to go without painkillers..wow..cancer is an extremely painful disease...

[Taverner]

2. Pancreatic Cancer is a baddie

I wish him the greatest strength... and luck

[Shell Beau]

3. He's a fighter!