Michael Douglas On Having Cancer: ‘Like A Soldier, I Prepared For Battle’

Michael Douglas opened up about his experiences with cancer at a conference in New York City, revealing the previously hushed trials Douglas and his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones underwent during the tumultuous period.

The Wall Street star was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2010 and was treated with a range of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. According to Douglas, his cancer was complicated by a long history of cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse and personal and career-related stress. In 2011, it was revealed that Michael’s tumor was gone although the condition costed him much of his weight.

In a speech delivered to doctors and specialists at the International Head and Neck Oncologic Societies 5th World Congress in New York City, Michael Douglas confessed that he was misdiagnosed three times after experiencing some initial gum pain behind his molars a few years back. A subsequent diagnosis in Canada confirmed Douglas’ cancer, according to a 2010 Guardian report.

ABCNews reported about Michael revelations regarding the painful procedures he had to undergo to treat his cancer:

“I went through seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, which somehow seemed very accurately mapped to the seven circles of hell. Each week I sank a little lower and I felt a little — no, I felt a lot worse.”

Michael Douglas said he opted out of surgery because he did not like the idea of having to feed himself through a tube connected to his stomach. As a result, the veteran actor lost 40 pounds. Michael said his doctors closely guided him all the way during and after the weeks of treatments he had to receive:

“The doctors and nurses at Sloan Kettering had warned me not to expect to feel great the moment those seven weeks were over — that there would be another five weeks of feeling pretty awful until I could even hope to improve. “All of that was enormously important. Like a soldier, I prepared for battle…. It was my job to toughen up and get ready for the treatment and later on for my recovery, and that’s what I was able to do.”

Douglas admitted that his cancer diagnosis “was probably the scariest moment I faced”. In a recent Inquisitr piece, Michael Douglas’ wife, Catherine confessed that “she was a mess” during the time of his husband’s ordeal.

“I was a mess. I’ll be quite frank, I was a mess. When I’m married to a man who has such a conviction for life… he fights to make the wrongs right. For the first time he was fighting for his life.”

Despite his medical situation, Michael continues to pursue the career that made him a household name. Superhero movie Ant-man is currently filming, and our hero Hank Pym will be played by none other than the versatile actor, Michael Douglas.

[Image from Talk Radio News Service]