Dog The Bounty Hunter Opens Up About His Wife's Cancer Battle

Celebrity

Dog The Bounty Hunter Opens Up About His Wife's Cancer Battle

This past September, Beth Chapman, the star of the A&E show Dog the Bounty Hunter, received some devastating news about her health. Chapman revealed in an open letter that she had been diagnosed with stage two throat cancer.

"I've been dealt my share of unexpected blows over the course of my almost fifty years but nothing as serious as the one I heard from my doctors two weeks ago when they uttered those dreaded three words, "˜You have cancer," Beth wrote.

TV Guide

Doctors informed her that the "plum-sized tumor" was blocking her breathing, so she had to undergo "immediate surgery." Two weeks later, she went under the knife for a 12-hour procedure to remove the cancerous growth.

Last week, two months after the operation, Beth and her husband, Duane "Dog" Chapman, shared an update on her condition, revealing that at one point doctors gave her "50/50 chances."

"As I start this battle, I don't see a lot of optimism," Beth said in an exclusive clip from the couple's upcoming two-hour A&E special Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives.

Twitter

However, despite her fears, she is continuing to fight as hard as she can, and Dog is remaining by her side as her No. 1 supporter. The TV star recently opened up about his wife's battle in an exclusive interview with People.

Dog and Beth, who have been married for sixteen years, admitted that they have entered the biggest fight of their life, but they're doing their best to come out as winners.

"I take it one day at a time," Beth told People. "And I believe in the power of prayer." Dog added, "She's very tough, and she can beat this."

He continued, "When we made a pledge many years ago I said I'd love her in sickness and in health until death do us part. And that truth has really, really come alive in my mind. And I have to stand on that; I gave her an oath that I would love her forever. And thank God it's not till death do us part at this point."

As Beth continues her journey into the recovery phase, Dog has been even more focused on making sure it goes as smooth as possible. "If I have a pain "” like a back pain or something "” I don't tell her anymore," he confessed. "My little pains are nothing compared to what she's going through."

People/ Ilya S. Savenok

The bounty hunter added that one of the reasons why he is opening up is so fans can be aware of what his wife is going through and "say prayers for Beth."

"I don't want anybody to feel sorry for me, because I'm not the one who has it," he said.

The Chapmans also wanted to share their experience to put emphasis on the importance of early detection when it comes to cancer.

"Early detection is key," said Beth. "I probably had the scratchy throat for a year. When something feels wrong, you need to get it checked immediately. That's the lesson here. Also, everyone needs to pay attention to what you put in your body. Your diet is so important."

Dog agreed, adding, "You know, on every pack of cigarettes, there's a warning that they cause cancer. But I think they need to do that with food, so people know what they're putting into their bodies."

Liverampup.com

As for Beth's prognosis, she still has to take multiple tests in order to determine the next course of treatment. For now, she is powering through with the help of Dog and their fans who have reached out during the dark times.

"I'll have people come to me and tell me that they had cancer, or that a loved one had it. Everyone has been affected by this disease," said Beth.

Dog added that nowadays when they're on outings, fans call out to Beth instead of him. They'll say, "Beth! We love you! You're awesome!' Everybody wants to watch her beat this," and that's been very encouraging.

You can follow Beth's journey on Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives when it premieres on November 27 at 9 p.m. E.T on A&E.

Watch the trailer below:

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.