Patrick Swayze is one of the most memorable actors in recent years. We remember him, not only for his acting but we also remember him for his dancing and even his music.
Unfortunately, Patrick Swayze passed away from cancer a few years ago and was a very difficult time for all of his fans. It was especially difficult for his wife, Lisa Niemi Swayze, and she has recently talked about the moment she realized her husband had cancer.
When Lisa learned about Patrick and his cancer diagnosis, it was very difficult for her to continue. In an interview she gave with People, however, she said that she wanted to honor her husband, so she teamed up with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
This happened in 2008, when she lost her husband to pancreatic cancer. She said: “I want to finish the fight that he fought so hard for, fought so hard to win. And just because he is gone, it doesn’t mean it’s over, and I want to keep it going for him.”
They had been married for 31 years when he was diagnosed with cancer. At that time, there was a very low chance of survival from pancreatic cancer and he was only given a 6% chance of living. At that point, they realized that his fate had been sealed.
“It was the worst night of my life,” she admitted. “I know [Patrick] said, ‘I’m a dead man.’ But for me even, that night, I slept in the hospital room with him on the cot. I felt like a nail was being hammered into my own coffin. Your life turns on a dime and there’s no escaping the reality of what that diagnosis means. It’s just awful. It’s just a dreadful moment.”
One of the things that Lisa spoke about was how she felt it was impossible to turn around at that point, and even though he survived for 22 months, it was a difficult couple of years.
Even after he died, she waited a considerable amount of time but a few years later, she was able to remarry. That was in 2014, but she admits that Patrick is still with her down to this day.
“I am amazed how people survive losing someone they love,” she said. “That’s one of the things that got me through. Like, ‘Hey, wait a minute. People do this all the time. If they could do it, so can I.”
“And that’s as painful as it is because I thought, ‘This is going to kill me. Grief is going to kill me.’ But you know what? It doesn’t kill everybody,” she added. “If they can do it, so can I.”