Actor Ryan O'Neal yesterday broke his silence over his battle with leukaemia and told of his shock at learning he had the
disease.
The Love Story star was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukaemia less than a month ago, and said he was being given a treatment which seemed to be working.
He had only completed work on his latest film, People I Know, which also stars Al Pacino, days before he received the diagnosis and was now being treated in Los Angeles. ''I'm on something that seems to be working,'' he told Daily Variety newspaper. ''I've only known about it for three-and-a-half weeks. What a shock. It buckled me.''
O'Neal said he initially had a sore stomach and only discovered he had the disease after doctors carried out a series of tests - and was told on his 60th
birthday.
''I just had a pain in my stomach - it hurt,'' he said.
''They examined me, tested my spleen and discovered my white cell count was enormous.
''My doctors at Cedars-Sinai (hospital) are going to try an even newer medication next week.''
The actor, who had a stormy 17-year relationship with Farah Fawcett, one of the original Charlie's Angels, had stayed silent about the disease and refused to appear on American television to discuss it. ''What am I going to say - I've got it?'' he said. ''I didn't even announce it in the first place. This is some switch for me.''
O'Neal said he had received support from his friends, including Ali MacGraw, his Love Story co-star, whose character ironically died from leukaemia. ''She said to me 'I hope you didn't catch it from me','' he said.
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