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Swayze: I may only live 2yrs

By Ruth Doherty on Wednesday 7 January 2009

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Marie Claire celebrity news: Patrick Swayze

Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze has revealed he may only have another two years in a US interview.

The star opened up to Barbara Walters at his Californian ranch in his first interview since being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.

Talking about his chances of survival, Patrick told her: ‘I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking.

‘Two years seems likely if you're going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I'd better get a fire under it.’

Swayze went public with his diagnosis in March 2008, and revealed he first noticed he was ill when he couldn’t stomach a glass of Champagne with Lisa, his wife of 33 years, on New Year’s Eve 2007.

‘It would be like pouring acid, you know, on an open wound,’ he said. ‘I dropped about 20 pounds in the blink of an eye. And then when you see it in the mirror, you pull your eyes down and the bottom of your eyes go yellow and jaundice sets in – then you know something is wrong.’

He said despite already defying the odds (pancreatic cancer patients are usually only expected to survive six months), he is still scared about what the future holds.

‘You can bet I'm going through hell,’ said Swayze, in the interview which will be broadcast in the US today. ‘And I've only seen the beginning of it.

‘There's a lot of fear here ... Yeah, I'm scared. Yeah, I'm angry. Yeah, I'm (asking) why me?’

But he added that he would not give up: ‘Am I dying? Am I giving up? Am I on my death bed? Am I saying goodbye to people? No way.’

In fact, rather than remain at home in California after his diagnosis in January 2008, Swayze accepted a part as an under-cover FBI agent in a Chicago TV series called The Beast.

He refused to take painkillers for fear it would affect his performance.

At weekends he would fly to Los Angeles for chemotherapy and be back on the set on Monday mornings.

Swayze said he was determined to fight his illness, saying: 'I just love to work hard.

'I did find myself, at the end of the day, riding home sort of catching myself with a smile on my face. I'm proud of what I'm doing.'

Wednesday 7 January 2009

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I have been a fan of patricks since dirty dancing, and news of his illness made me very sad but reading this article i believe he has the courage and determination to beat it and he will be in my prays.
Comment by lynda mclaughlin on January 07 13:08

Good luck Patrick
Comment by Dawn on January 08 15:55

God I really hope he pulls through I think he's a great man and an amazing role model. If only willpower and positive thinking alone could cure him.
Comment by Becky on January 13 14:34

i have been a fan of patrick for a long time he comes over a very kind person .thare is a saying only the good die youg .
i hope he lives till he 80
carol from scotland
Comment by carolanne wilson on January 31 19:48