In his recently released memoir, Michael Douglas shared details of his cancer battle and how it humbled him.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleMichael Douglas has been making the headlines after the release of his new memoir, One Helluva Ride. The handsome actor penned about the various aspects of his life, which include his marriage to Deandra Douglas, his extra-marital affair with co-star Kathleen Turner, his struggle with drugs, and many other aspects. One of the poignant chapters in his memoir included his gruesome battle with cancer.
Michael Douglas was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma (an advanced form of oral and throat cancer) in August 2010. In his memoir, Michael Douglas reflected on his battle with cancer and revealed it was like the ‘seven circles of hell’.
The actor recalled losing 40 pounds, making him ‘sallow and gaunt’ after four weeks of treatment. The Fatal Attraction star underwent seven weeks of radiation and chemo. Initially, the pain was manageable for him, but by the third week, he was in ‘real trouble’ as it was unmanageable.
The battle was painful not only for the actor but for his family as well. He mentioned in his memoir that his family, which included his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their two children, son Dylan and daughter Carys, also faced ‘hard moments’. His children dealt with headlines, which claimed that their dad was close to death. Penning about the same, he wrote:
“The kids were too young to understand how these magazines operate, so it was traumatizing for them.”
Despite struggling hard, Douglas tried to maintain normalcy with his children. He often accompanied his daughter to school, which left him exhausted, and he spent the rest of the day on a couch. His couch became his bed, chair, and table, and his visitors often found him in the same spot. After a long battle and a period of recovery, when Douglas was told that his cancer was in remission, he was shocked. Recalling his reaction to the news, he said, ‘I broke down crying.’
The actor further stated that it was cancer, which made him realize the worth of his life. He remembers his wife, Zeta-Jones, saying that it was like "watching a wilted flower come back to life." He also admitted that cancer gave him freedom and his priorities changed too. Elaborating on the same, he penned:
“To say cancer humbled me would be an understatement. It made me more thankful for everything in my life. It's difficult to talk about, but it felt like a rebirth. My priorities changed. Cancer showed me what family is. It made me feel a love that I never knew really existed. I saw everything a little bit clearer, and a little bit brighter, and became far more conscious of how I spent my time.”
It was in 2010, when Michael was diagnosed with an advanced stage of oral and throat cancer. He had a persistent sore throat for months, but many specialists initially misdiagnosed it as an infection. But soon, a doctor in Montreal performed a biopsy and found a tumor at the base of his tongue. He was declared cancer-free in 2011.
What do you think about Michael Douglas’ confession about his cancer battle?
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