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Toronto – Patrick Swayze is in the hospital battling a case of pneumonia, he checked in after a very persistent cough wouldn�t go away.

He tells PEOPLE from his hospital bed “It made me suspect there was a possibility of some kind of infection. I wanted to jump on it before it turned into a problem. As soon as I got home, I called my doctor and then went straight to the hospital and was immediately put on antibiotics.”

About the pneumonia, he says “I am almost in the clear.” Swayze has been fighting pancreatic cancer since early last year and says to everyone who thinks he�s on death�s door “I am alive and plan on continuing to stay that way.� The 56 year-old still wants to continue working on his new series �The Beast� and says his strength comes from his wife of 33 years, Lisa, who says “I admire everything imaginable [about Patrick], especially his courage, strength and humour.”