Ailing actress expects die in a decade

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Pamela Anderson, diagnosed with hepatitis C two years ago, says she expects to die within a decade.

"I think I've got a good 10 years left in me, which is sad, too. Maybe 15, if I'm lucky," Anderson tells Us Weekly magazine in the Nov. 3 issue. "It's scary, but lately I've been feeling great. For some reason, my liver keeps getting healthier."

Hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. Anti-viral drugs are a standard treatment, and therapy is successful about half the time.

But, Anderson isn't taking interferon, the injectable drug hepatitis patients often use. Instead she is using an alternative remedy prepared by her homeopathic doctor, Wendy Hewland.

"I really just need to be with my (two) kids and work on their relationship with their father," the 36-year-old actress says, referring to former husband and Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, with whom she resolved an ugly custody battle in January.