Sep 17, 2009, 1:52 GMT
Los Angeles - The first excerpts of Patrick Swayze's memoir were released Wednesday, two days after the Dirty Dancing star died from pancreatic cancer at age 57.
(FILE) A file picture of the actors Matt Dillon (L) and Patrick Swayze at the tv movie Italian 'Oscar' awards in Milan on Tuesday, 07 May 2002. According to media reports, Swayze's publicist Annett Wolf says the 57-year-old "Dirty Dancing" actor died 14 September 2009 with family at his side. He came forward about his illness last spring, but continued working as he underwent treatments. EPA/Carlo Ferraro
Written with his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, the book is called The Time of My Life, and hits stores at the end of the month.
The memoir reveals how Swayze learned he had cancer 20 months ago and his courageous method of dealing with it.
'I had been having some digestive trouble, mostly acid reflux and a kind of bloated feeling, for a few weeks,' Swayze said in the book excerpts, which were released to People magazine and broadcaster NBC.
'I've had a sensitive stomach my whole life, so I hadn't thought much of it, but lately I just couldn't shake the constant discomfort. ... My doctor told me my chances of surviving for more than a few months weren't high, and I had no reason to doubt him.'
But Swayze became determined not to wallow in self pity.
'I began thinking to myself, I've had more lifetimes than any 10 people put together, and it's been an amazing ride. So this is okay,' he wrote.
He decided to stay engaged in the things he loved doing as long as he could, which is why he kept working on police drama The Beast without resorting to painkillers.
'I continued with chemotherapy all the way through the shoot, but I never took any painkillers since they dull not only your pain but also your sharpness,' Swayze wrote.
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