James Van Der Beek has opened up about his battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer after he revealed his diagnosis on November 3.
The Dawson's Creek alum, 47, admitted he had been dealing with his diagnosis "in secret" before he decided to publicly share the news in the hope of raising awareness about the disease.
"That's one of the reasons I want to talk about it and the reason I'm talking about it so openly," James, who was diagnosed at the age of 46, told People.
"I've been dealing with this pretty much in secret for a while, and in the past, I've found it helpful and cathartic to share things publicly," he continued, adding: "And I've found a lot of support that way. But more than that, I really wanted to raise awareness."
The actor admitted his diagnosis came as a shock as he has no history of cancer in his family and prioritizes his health.
"I'd always associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles. But I was in amazing cardiovascular shape. I tried to eat healthy – or as far as I knew it at the time."
© Getty ImagesHowever, last summer he began to switch up his diet after he noticed changes in his bowel movements.
"I thought maybe I needed to stop coffee. Or maybe not put cream in the coffee. But when I cut that out and it didn't improve, I thought, 'All right, I better get this checked out.'"
James went for a colonoscopy and admitted he wasn't worried about the results but was soon faced with the shocking truth that he has cancer.
© Getty Images"I felt really good coming out of anesthesia, that I'd finally done it," he explained. "Then the gastroenterologist said – in his most pleasant bedside manner – that it was cancer. I think I went into shock."
James has so far decided to keep his treatment plan private but admitted: "If you've heard about it, I've probably touched on it.
© Getty Images"This has been a crash course in the mastery of mind, body, and spirit," he added. "I thought, 'This is either going to take me out of the body, or it's going to teach me how to truly live in it.'"
James continued: "The trickiest thing is there are so many unknowns with cancer. You think, 'How do I fix this? Is this healing me? Is this hurting me? Is this working? Is it coming back?' As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things."
© Getty ImagesAs for his prognosis, James is keeping that to himself but admitted he is "optimistic" about his recovery.
He said: "I’m very cautiously optimistic. I'm in a place of healing, my energy levels are great. When I've been out of the woods completely for what feels like a responsible amount of time, I'll circle back and let you know. I have a lot to live for."
© InstagramJames revealed his cancer diagnosis to People earlier this week, telling the outlet: "I have colorectal cancer. I've been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family."
The actor lives on a ranch in Texas with his wife Kimberly, 42, and their six kids, Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel,10, Emilia, eight, Gwen, six, and Jeremiah, three.
