Michael Douglas is determined not to let his cancer treatment get in the way of spending time with his children.
The actor took his daughter Carys to school yesterday in New York, holding her hand as they walked.
Douglas has joked that his two young children have already seen a benefit to his throat cancer. 'They're happy I can't talk that much,' said the 65-year-old actor, diagnosed with stage four throat cancer three weeks ago.
Douglas said he had taken Dylan, 10, and Carys, seven - his children with second wife Catherine Zeta-Jones - to hospital so they could see the treatment he's receiving. He is undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
'The kids, yeah, they've been fine,' he said. 'I've taken them down to the hospital and shown them the whole radiology thing. They've watched me actually get zapped.'
He and Zeta-Jones, 40, were determined to be straight with the children from the beginning because they didn't want them dealing with whispers at school or innuendo from strangers about their famous father.
Douglas, who's been given an 80% chance of recovery, said: 'I like my odds. I'm not dealing with mortality issues until they tell me, 'oops, we have to go back and do surgery' or something like that. The tumour is shrinking. The odds are good.'
In an interview with USA Today, he said: 'I've really been enjoying being with Catherine and the kids and doing things here and then. I'm always a pretty lazy guy. I love to get passionate and excited to find something to do, but I'm a real hang-out guy, especially with the kids now and golf and travelling.'