Posted on 01/07/2009 4:32:27 AM PST by TSgt
He may show a brave face in public and on the set of his new television drama “The Beast,” but Patrick Swayze has admitted his day-to-day battle with pancreatic cancer is scary.
“There’s a lot of fear here,” Patrick told Barbara Walters during a new sit-down interview with the actor and his wife, Lisa Niemi, airing Wednesday on ABC. “There’s a lot of stuff goin’ on. Yeah, I’m scared. Yeah, I’m angry. Yeah, I’m [like], ‘Why me?’ Yeah, I’m all this stuff.”
The star of such Hollywood blockbusters as “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost” confirmed he is suffering from pancreatic cancer last year. And he told Barbara, the symptoms of the disease hit him at once — on New Year’s Eve 2008.
“I tried to have champagne… and it would be like pouring acid, you know, on an open wound, and then my indigestion issues got gigantic and constant,” he explained. “And then I started thinkin’, ‘I’m gettin’ skinny.’”
Patrick said he “dropped about 20 pounds in the blink of an eye,” something he really noticed when he stared at his reflection.
“When you see it in the mirror, when all of a sudden… pull your eyes down and… the bottom of your eyes go yellow and jaundice sets in — then you know somethin’s wrong,” he said. “I started doing a little research… and started realizing this is not pretty. This is not a good thing.”
Lisa, Patrick’s wife of 33 years, said that her husband’s diagnosis – Stage 4 pancreatic cancer – was one of the toughest things to hear.
“For the first few weeks, it was like being in a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from,” she said.
The actor told Barbara he has been able to battle the disease thanks to a host of what he calls “guardian warriors.”
“I don’t know what’s on the other side. It tests everything I believe in… that here is something unique in all of us that does… not die. I like to believe that I’ve got a lot of guardian warriors sittin’ on my shoulder, including my dad, sayin’, ‘You just let Swayze Dog know, it’s been his turn all this time. You just let us do the work and we’ll finish it for him.’ And so, I’m trying to shut up and… let my angels speak to me and, and tell me what I’m supposed to do.”
One of those things was his role in “The Beast,” which was filmed last July over 12-hour minimum days.
“I think everybody thought I was out of my mind, you know, thinking I’m gonna pull off a TV show,” he said.
Though he’s managed to film “The Beast,” one thing Patrick hasn’t done yet is kick his habit of smoking.
“I’ve seriously cut down,” Patrick told Barbara. “I was one of those dumb ones that started back in the Marlborough Man days whose — you know, it was cool. I’m a cowboy. But I’ll tell you one thing. I will talk so hard core against, against smoking for kids. That’s one reason I’ve never smoked in front of children.”
When asked if he thought his smoking caused his cancer, Patrick said it may have had an effect.
“Ooh, I don’t know… I will go so far as to say probably smoking had something to do with my pancreatic cancer,” he said.
Patrick said one reason he continues to smoke is to lesson his daily battles.
“I’ve got… priorities,” he said. “It’s just I’ve been dealing with one thing as it comes at time, you know… in the… order that it’s trying to kill me. Will stopping smoking now stop anything, change anything? No. But, when it looks like I may live longer than five minutes, I’ll drop cigarettes like a hot potato.”
Patrick, while there is still time, read a Bible and find out what's on the other side, man.
It's not too late as long as you have breath.
Find a solid pastor who is totally sold out to God and talk to him!
On another topic:
“.....one reason he continues to smoke is to lesson his daily battles.”
“...to lesson..”???????
A spell check typo? Or 21st century MySpace journalism?
I wish him well. I read he was using some experimental drug.
Probably a spell check typo, or the person didn’t know the proper spelling of lessen.
Agree. He has been given time. He knows his prognosis is bleak. It isn’t time to be just lightly taking his eternity for granted. May the Lord send someone into his life that can give him truth and give him peace. Then the angels truly will accompany him to the presence of Christ when the time comes that he has to go.
My father in law died of it. There is a window of opportunity but a small one. Your mother was one of the few that got that window in time.
It is a fast one; and possibly Patrick has that opportunity.
My wife’s uncle had a whipple procedure, essentially evisceration, but he never recovered from it. He would have been better off taking drugs to make him comfortable in his final months. My uncle is currently battling cancer of the unknown primary or CUP. He has slightly better chances.
One does not truly appreciate life until they have sat in a chemotherapy room with cancer patients, especially seeing young folks. Their positive attitude and outlook is uplifting.
The World Is Mine
Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed... a smile.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine
I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it’d do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, “I thank you, you’ve been so kind.
It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You see,” he said, “I’m blind.”
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.
Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
“Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn’t hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I’d go.
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow.
With ears to hear what I’d know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I’ve been blessed indeed, the world is mine.
Even Mother Theresa had doubts. Even Jesus on the Cross said, “ My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.”
We all have doubts We cannot witness man’s cruelty to man without wondering where is God and why does he allow such things?
The only answer is to cling to our faith.
I cant describe how badly I feel for this man and so many others who are dying with Cancer, I have lost so many relatives and friends with it, we all have.
It always seems that at some time toward the end the pain removes the fear and anger and death comes as a welcome relief. We all pray that God’s messenger is waiting for us on the other side, may he take Patrick to his earned reward.
Start a conversation with your Creator, Patrick. Take some time and discover who Jesus Christ is and how you can be saved by him. It will all be worth it when the time comes to be called home.
How much effect do you suppose continued smoking has? If he stopped would the cancer just go away? No, so who cares?
The thing with Swayze is I don’t think that he has faith n Christ. I believe he was a Buddhist before this.
Also, Jesus was not expressing doubt. He still said “my God.”
Mother Theresa was a moral woman. Her statements however leave one wondering as to her final status. Only she and God knew for sure. But, people can do many good works and still miss heaven. The Lord himself said many will come to him in that day saying “Lord Lord, have we not prophesied and done all of these wonderful things in your name (paraphrasing)” And the Lord will say “Depart from me you workers of iniquity for I NEVER KNEW YOU.”
Only an individual knows or at least has the right kind of witness as to what their condition is before God. Works won’t get it. Only the blood of Christ shed for their sins and their putting faith and trust in him will.
A week or so after that I had an appointment with my surgical oncologist. He immediately made me feel a whole lot better when he told me that what I had was a neuroendocrine tumor, a relatively slow growing type that doesn't normally start to spread until it gets to about 3.0cm. He said that if you have to have pancreatic cancer, this is the type to have. On January 11, 2007 I had robot assisted laparoscopic surgery (10 hours) and they removed my spleen and about 40% of my pancreas. Ironically, though it was a complete success, due to the length of the surgery I came down with a really bad case of double pneumonia which almost killed me. I was in ICU for about a week and in the hospital a total of 12 days.
Due to the type of cancer that I had I probably would have lived another 7 years even if it had not been diagnosed and I didn't require chemotherapy. There was also a 30% chance that I would be diabetic and that didn't happen either. This was the same type of tumor that Steve Jobs had.
I was extremely lucky and had a whole lot of good people (especially my wife) taking care of me and praying for me. I am now, a year later, cancer free. I do have a recurring pseudocyst on my pancreas that I have to have taken care of the day after tomorrow (Friday 1/09). Their doing an ERCP and putting in some stents and other stuff.
Once again, I was extremely lucky and I wish Patrick Swayze all the best.
Wish I knew his address. I’d send him a box of Cohibas.
Quitting smoking 5 years ago may have had some effect on his pancreatic cancer. At stage four, I doubt quitting will accomplish anything.
But some people hate smoking so much, they'd rather torture a sick man over it.
Best wishes to you Jaxter on your road to recovery!
Mike :)
Thanks Mike.
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