āJeopardy!ā host Alex Trebek has been struggling with ādeep, deep sadnessā since his cancer diagnosis but says heās drawing strength from his supportive fans, during an interview with Good Morning America.
The long-time game show host, who first announced his diagnosis in March, told GMA host Robin Roberts how the ongoing treatment has been affecting him.
Trebek said one of the more difficult parts of dealing with the disease is the chemotherapy because he wasnāt expecting the feelings that often accompany treatment.
"What Iām not used to [is] dealing with the surges that come on suddenly of deep, deep sadness and it brings tears to my eye,ā he said Wednesday.
He jokes that āIāve discovered in this whole episode, ladies and gentlemen, that Iām a bit of a wuss." Trebek stressed he wanted to be open about all his experiences, including the depression he was facing.
āChemo affects people in different ways and people have to understand that, and that thereās nothing wrong with saying āHey, Iām really depressed today and I donāt know why,ā Trebek said.
The 78-year-old Greater Sudbury, Ont.-native added that he has another chemotherapy session next week, when heād also get an update on his progress.
āMy oncologist tells me Iām doing well even though I donāt always feel it. Iāve had kidney stones, Iāve had ruptured discs, so Iām used to dealing with pain,ā Trebek said.
During his initial video last month where he revealed his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Trebek said he would continue hosting āJeopardy!ā for a while.
But on Wednesday, he said heād be taking a step back from his hosting duties over the summer.
"I feel weak all the time and thatās not a good place to be," Trebek said, adding heāll use the break to the rest before the next stages of his treatment.
In the meantime, he took solace in the fact that his fans were regularly giving him support and the strength to keep fighting. Trebek said viewers have been sharing "advice, good thoughts, and prayers" with him.
āI think Iāve learned that Iām an extremely lucky individual because, in spite of the fact that this diagnosis is not a good one, Iāve managed to receive so much love from so many people," Trebek said.
"Quite often you donāt get that during your lifetime. After youāve passed, after youāre dead, people say āHe was such a good guy, we really liked him.ā But Iām getting that all before that event and it makes me feel really, really good,ā he said smiling.