'It's a tough pill to swallow': Rabbitohs legend Nathan Merritt reveals devastating stage four cancer double diagnosis
Updated . First published at
South Sydney legend Nathan Merritt has revealed he doesn't know how long he's got to live after he received a heartbreaking stage-four cancer double diagnosis.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Merritt revealed he had been diagnosed with oesophagus and liver cancer.
Despite the nightmare news, the veteran of 237 NRL games vowed he would do all he can to fight the disease.
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Nathan Merritt has revealed he has received two stage four cancer diagnoses. Brett Hemmings via Getty Images
"It's a tough pill to swallow for my kids and family. But it's good - it's going to be a tough one, but I'm going to fight through it," he said.
"I'll start chemo. So I think it's two weeks on, two weeks off. That'll probably be my schedule at the hospital over the next few months going forward."
The 42-year-old is a father of five, aged between 11 and 21. He said he was given the oesophageal diagnosis in November, but only got the liver diagnosis recently.
He admitted he didn't know how much time he had left.
"I only found out that it was stage four a few weeks ago," he said.
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Merritt celebrating a try against the Tigers in round 14 of the 2014 season - his third last in first grade. Mark Nolan via Getty Images
"All of this treatment is now just about trying to maintain it with chemo, and doing my best to stay alive as long as possible."
The diagnosis is the heaviest of a series of painful blows for Merritt.
Two years ago, he spent a week in a coma after a shocking bout of pneumonia. He woke up with no function on the right side of his body, and spent six weeks in hospital recovering.
Last year, he pleaded guilty to affray after he was involved in a wild pub brawl in Sydney in February. Two months later he spent the night in jail and was fined $1500 for high-range drink driving, having returned a BAC reading of 0.184.
He revealed he went sober late last year, and regretted not making the change earlier.
"When I realised drinking wasn't the best option, I tried to change my lifestyle around," he said.
"I just wish I had seen this way of living earlier, when I first retired. For me, the best choice I've made was to stop drinking. I love living life now, being fresh, and I feel in a better headspace."
Merritt retired at the end of 2014. He scored 154 tries in his 13-season long career, including 146 for the Bunnies.
He debuted in 2002, and aside from a two-year stint at Cronulla in 2004-2005, spent the rest of his career at Redfern.
