Alex Trebek said he plans to stop treatment if his current course of treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer is unsuccessful.
A day after the legendary host issued a video update saying he felt “good” and that his “numbers are good,” the New York Times published an interview in which Trebek said his forecast has worsened in recent months. .
“Yesterday morning, my wife came to me and said, ‘How are you feeling?’ And I said, ‘I feel like I want to die.’ It was so bad, “Trebek said.” There comes a time when you have to make a decision about whether you want to continue with such a low quality of life, or if you just want to go to the next level. It doesn’t bother me in the least. “
It was unclear when Trebek spoke to the Times.
The television legend, who turns 80 on July 22, has spoken openly about her mortality since she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in March last year.
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“I am not afraid of dying,” he told CTV of Canada in October. “I have lived a good life, a full life, and I am nearing the end of that life … if it happens, why should I be afraid of it?
“One thing they won’t say at my funeral, as part of a compliment, is ‘They took it away from us too soon.'”
He also spoke about “bouts of great depression” and “moments of great pain” as he crossed the one-year mark from his cancer diagnosis in March. Additionally, she has shared the obstacles she has faced in the past year, including hair loss and the struggle to enunciate.
Trebek’s sobering comments to the Times came after he issued a more optimistic statement in a video update on Thursday.
“I am doing well, I have continued my treatment and it is giving results, although I am very fatigued,” he said. “My numbers are good, I feel great.”
Trebek is also recalling his life and career in his new memory, “The Answer is … Reflections on My Life,” which comes out on July 21, the day before his 80th birthday. You are donating the down payment you received for writing the book. for charity.
The host of “Jeopardy!” Since 1984, she has also been recording introductions to 20 classic episodes that are slated to run in a four-week retrospective starting Monday, as no new episodes are being filmed due to the pandemic. Working in the program has had a therapeutic effect on Trebek since his diagnosis.
“Interestingly, when we started recording, I suddenly started to regain my strength,” he told the Times. “It is the strangest thing. It is a kind of elixir.”
The producers also remembered one day last year when Trebek was in so much pain that he was sobbing on the floor of his dressing room, but he got up and recorded five episodes in a row.
He is focused on returning in the fall as the show nears its 37th year with him at the helm.
“Once again, I can’t wait to go back to the studio and start recording shows for the new season in September,” he said in his video message. “In the meantime, my wish for you all, to stay safe.”
