{"id":4709,"date":"2024-04-18T10:18:22","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T14:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dailycupofwellness\/?p=4709"},"modified":"2024-04-18T10:18:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T14:18:22","slug":"patrick-swayzes-widow-says-star-knew-he-was-a-dead-man-upon-hearing-cancer-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dailycupofwellness\/2024\/04\/patrick-swayzes-widow-says-star-knew-he-was-a-dead-man-upon-hearing-cancer-diagnosis.html","title":{"rendered":"Patrick Swayze’s Widow Says Star Knew He Was a ‘Dead Man’ Upon Hearing Cancer Diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Patrick Swayze\u2019s widow, Lisa Niemi Swayze, recently opened up about the challenging journey after his cancer diagnosis. During a recent appearance on the \u201cAmy and T.J. Podcast,\u201d Lisa shared Patrick\u2019s initial reaction to hearing that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008. She said on the podcast, \u201cWhen he first found out he had pancreatic cancer, he turned to me and said, \u2018I\u2019m a dead man.\u2019 I didn\u2019t know much about pancreatic cancer, but he did, and from what he knew, anytime you heard someone had had pancreatic cancer, it was like, \u2018Well, he\u2019s out of here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She further explained the actor\u2019s doctors were able to confirm his diagnosis following an endoscopic procedure, after which they informed her of his condition, leaving her to wonder when the right time was to tell her husband. After finding out about her husband\u2019s diagnosis, she shared he was still \u201cpretty knocked out,\u201d and she didn\u2019t want to \u201ctell him when he was woozy.\u201d<\/p>\n

She chose instead to wait, adding when she woke up from a nap in the hospital room a few hours later, she found \u201cthe doctor was sitting across from him, and he was in bed,\u201d saying, \u201cI knew the doctor had just told him.\u201d She told the \u201cAmy and T.J. Podcast,\u201d \u201cSure enough, the doctor said you can go ahead and treat it and be as aggressive as you want, but do think about getting your affairs in order sooner rather than later. That\u2019s a tough thing to hear.\u201d From then on, Lisa explained, \u201cevery ounce of energy we had was gonna go into helping him live.\u201d Her first instinct was to call her sister-in-law, who worked as an oncologist in Texas, and suggested getting Patrick into a clinical trial and to \u201ccome out with guns blazing.\u201d<\/p>\n