Patrick Swayze Learned He Would Soon Die after His Eyes Changed Color — His Widow Recalls His Final Years

• Patrick Swayze's wife, Lisa Niemi, opened up about her husband's early stages of pancreatic cancer.
• She spoke about the first symptoms and the moment the doctors broke the news to them.
• Niemi might have remarried, but she still has a relationship with her late husband.

Patrick Swayze was an all-around entertainer. He was a singer, dancer, songwriter, and actor famously known for his role in the iconic film, "Dirty Dancing."

However, the world lost this ball of talent to pancreatic cancer in 2009. His wife, Lisa Niemi, recently opened up about her husband's final years.

This was the first time in 14 years that Niemi shared information about the early stages of Swayze's diagnosis. The disease first started showing signs in his eyes; Niemi recalled her husband asking her if his eyes were yellow. He had already been experiencing digestive problems with excruciating pain before that.

At first, the couple agreed to see a doctor the next week, but Niemi thought yellow eyes were not normal and decided they would go the next day.

After the actor was examined by the doctor, he was sent for an urgent CT scan, which turned one day at the doctor into a nerve-wracking 24 hours of waiting for the results.

When the doctor broke the news to Niemi, she said she didn't know much about pancreatic cancer. She learned of the diagnosis before her husband, who was still heavily medicated at the time.

Niemi, a dancer, remembered waking up in the hospital room and finding the doctor speaking to Swayze. After the doctor left, she said Swayze looked at her and said, "I am a dead man." However, as bad as things looked for the actor, the couple stayed positive and hoped for a miracle to take it all away.

The "Dirty Dancing" star did everything in his power to fight cancer, and every step of the journey was challenging but worth it, according to his wife.

Despite the difficulty of the situation, Nieme still saw every day with Swayze as a beautiful moment. She said, "When you love someone, and they're on this Earth with you, every moment is precious. Every bit of fight we did was worth it for that extra time."

Swayze was loved internationally, and his diagnosis shocked many of his supporters, but his wife confessed, "I think Patrick would have preferred to have kept his battle very private."

To prove that the actor would not let cancer deter him, he filmed a TV series while undergoing chemo and worked 14 hours, five days a week. Although it was tough for him to fight cancer publicly, it shone a light on pancreatic cancer since not much was known about it.

Therefore, his fight allowed people to learn more about it, raise awareness, and help others fighting the same battle.

What Was the "Unlikely" Love Story of Patrick Swayze and His Wife?

Swayze and Niemi's first encounter was unusual. The choreographer remembered the actor pinching her butt saying, "Hey, cutie." It took her aback, and she responded, "Oh, brother."

Despite Swayze's straightforward gesture and their public status, the two decided to go out and get to know each other. Even though they both loved to dance, Niemi believed they connected because they differed from other famous people.

Getting to each other turned into them falling in love. They understood each other, with Niemi calling Swayze a hero. She was always surprised at how he was good at many things, like horse riding, flying a plane, dancing, and acting.

Swayze also showed off his multifaceted character in many of his well-known films like "Dirty Dancing," "Ghost," "Point Break," and "Road House."

Even though life without Swayze has been difficult, the dancer said she still feels his presence in everything she does. "His voice is in my head. He comments on what I'm doing," she revealed.

Niemi also expressed that just because her husband was gone did not mean their relationship was over. They still communicated, and Swayze advises her on some of her ventures.

The two had spent over three decades together. They married in 1975 when Niemi was 18 and Swayze 23. Swayze lost his battle with cancer in 2009.

How Did Patrick Swayze's Wife Live after His Death?

Niemi got candid about the transition of being alone after being with Swayze for 34 years. She confessed that it felt like she was in her teens again, trying to figure life out.

The dancer compared the loss to losing a limb and trying to develop a new life without it, and that process was harrowing for her.

Though she deemed herself strong, losing her husband was different, and each day had its ups and downs because of how traumatic the experience was.

In the early stages of her grief, Niemi swore she would not get married again or even sell her home with Swayze. But she said that was what every widow said until the time one felt ready to let go came.

Niemi was able to open herself to love again with Albert DePrisco. She remembered telling one of her friends that what she felt for DePrisco was separate from her connection with Swayze.

She realized that her love for Swayze would never stop, and her connection with her current husband did not compare to the one she shared with the "Ghost" star.

Subscribe to AmoMama on Google News!