The typically sunny Alex Trebek is dealing with some tough emotional lows as he continues his fight with pancreatic cancer.
During an interview on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, the beloved “Jeopardy!” host updated Robin Roberts on his health battle and detailed some of its more difficult parts.
“My oncologist tells me I’m doing well, even though I don’t always feel it,” Alex confessed. “I’ve had kidney stones, I’ve had ruptured discs, so I’m used to dealing with pain. What I’m not used to dealing with is the surges that come on suddenly of deep, deep sadness, and it brings tears to my eyes. I’ve discovered in this whole episode, ladies and gentlemen, that I’m a bit of a wuss.”
.@Jeopardy host #AlexTrebek to @RobinRoberts after being asked how he is doing: “My oncologist says I’m doing well even though I don’t always feel it.” https://t.co/YUdvo8InwJ pic.twitter.com/T1toOLcmUm
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 1, 2019
Nonetheless, Alex insisted that he’s “fighting through it” – and, by all indications, things are looking up.
“My platelets, my blood counts are steady,” he said. “My weight is steady … The cancer indicators, those are coming down. So, I’ve got another chemo next week, and then we’ll do a review to find out where things stand.”
WATCH: Alex Trebek Thanks Fans For Support Amid Cancer Battle: ‘I’m A Lucky Guy’
Robin then commended Alex for addressing both good and the bad of his fight.
“Chemo affects people in different ways, and people have to understand that,” he replied. “There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘Hey, I’m really depressed today, and I have no idea why. Why am I crying today?'”
When asked how his positive attitude plays into his treatment, Alex said he takes it “as it comes.”
“It’s no big deal,” he said. “I go in and I sit down, and I joke with the nurses. I’m there for an hour and a half while they inject all this stuff into me. Then I go home, and I have a good day. And then the next day, for no reason that I can fathom, turns south on me. But that’s OK. You have to deal with it. What am I going to do? It is something that I’m afflicted with. We are dealing with it chemically and spiritually, and those are positives. And hopefully everything is going to turn out well and I’ll be back on the air with original programming come this September.”
.@Jeopardy host #AlexTrebek to @RobinRoberts: “Hopefully everything is going to turn out well and I’ll be back on the air with original programming come this September.” https://t.co/YUdvo8InwJ pic.twitter.com/axBjyZzuz6
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 1, 2019
Alex went public with his stage 4 cancer diagnosis in early March in a video message on his game show’s social media channels.
“Normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this,” he pledged to fans. “I’m going to keep working. And with the love and support of my family and friends – and with the help of your prayers, also – I plan to beat the low-survival rate statistics for this disease.”