Patrick Swayze's Last Wish
Patrick Swayze lost his battle with pancreatic cancer Monday night, after waging a brave battle during the 20 months since he announced his diagnosis. It may be Swayze's romantic turns in Dirty Dancing and Ghost for which he's best remembered, but cancer patients will never forget how Swayze turned his own battle into a public plea for help for all those affected by this terrible disease.
It's his own words that provide the best memorial for Swayze, who was only 57. "I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, a life not lived in the shadow of cancer, but in the light," he said in the live television event "Stand Up to Cancer," which aired in September, 2008.
In February of this year, Swayze published a straight-talking op-ed piece in the Washington Post titled, "I'm Battling Cancer. How About Some Help, Congress?" He urged senators and representatives to vote for the maximum funding for the National Institutes of Health to fight cancer as part of the economic stimulus package.
In his op-ed, he finished by saying "My hope is that one day the words "a cure" won't be followed by the words "is impossible.""
A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is essentially a death sentence; most people diagnosed with this virulent cancer have only months to a few years to live from the time they find out they're sick. Like Randy Pausch, another hero of Cancer World who battled pancreatic cancer, Swayze fought hard. He had brutal chemotherapy and experimental treatments at Stanford, with his beloved wife and partner of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, flying him up from Hollywood in a private plane. Meanwhile, despite debilitating side effects, he continued to act, launching a demanding new action series, The Beast, even as his disease progressed.
To many of us with cancer in our lives, one of the most frustrating and enraging aspect of Swayze's cancer battle was watching how rumors of his death dogged him from the time he was diagnosed. Only months after his diagnosis, when he still appeared quite healthy, tabloid headlines had him just "weeks away" from death. And in mid-May a rumor that he had died swept through Twitter and other social media and was picked up by major news media before Swayze's representatives squashed it.
Struggling to live life to the fullest while in the shadow of death is something cancer patients and their loved ones know all too well. Finding joy and strength with a terminal diagnosis hanging over you is difficult enough. Doing so while the world wrongly anticipates and trumpets news of your death, as Swayze did, is an act of supreme grace. "Hope is a very, very fragile thing in anyone's life," he said. "And the people I love do not need to be having that hope robbed from them."
In the end, the cancer won. But Swayze didn't let cancer have the last word. As Swayze said in his brave and memorable last interview with Barbara Walters, "Yeah, I'm scared. Yeah, I'm angry. Yeah, I'm asking, `Why me?'" -- emotions all of us dealing with cancer can identify with.
But, he added, "You get busy living or you get busy dying."
The tabloid headline Swayze envisioned for himself: "Swayze's Kicking It," did not come to pass. But as he put it so aptly: "I like to believe, and I always have, that I've got a lot of guardian warriors sitting on my shoulder, including my dad, saying `you let us do the work, and we'll finish it for him.'"
So, fellow cancer-warriors, let's get to work.
My prayers to his family. My husband was 56 when he was told he had pancreatic cancer. He passed away after 18 months of the disease. This is a terrible cancer, I wish that a cure will be found soon.
As on who was married to someone who lost a father to lung cancer at 36, I can identify with the loss that those who question God at moments such as this in taking a life so young really in comparison as he was. And by the way smoking was not what his family members blamed for the death, although he was a smoker - but five other members of his immediate family also died of cancer in one form or another, and many very young so genetics too played a part. I just hope they can find the gene eventually and maybe that will lead to the cures, rather than always blaming either lifestyle, or the luck of the draw. Because if it is genetic, than that luck and gene just might be changed.
First my deepest sympathys go to his family and friends..I would like to say that he was a very kind man from what i seen and to have someone pass on after making so many people happy is a shame. Some times i ask God why all the good ones have to be taken..such as my dad..He may have battled cancer and lost but he will forever remain in our hearts and minds..God Bless Him and his family and may the lord give you all strength to keep going.
Patrick's valor against this dreaded disease was strong and as vibrant an steadfast as the marvelous artistry as a dancer. He'll be missed, though never forgotten.
BEYOND, THE USUAL ACCODALES FOR PATRICK, I BRIEFLY READ HIS BATTLE ALSO WITH THE ONLY TOO PRESENT TERM OF ALCOHOL ABUSE WHICH IS NOT A CONDENMATION BUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE'S PRESSURES, AS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, I SALUTE PATRICK AND SOBERLY PLAYED "GHOST" TWO NIGHTS AGO" AS A TRIBUTE TO A TREMENDOUS HUMAN BEING BEYOND THE USUAL GALLERY OF SELFISH AND UNSTABLE ACTORS/ACTRESSES OF THIS PERIOD ,MARIO
My thought and prayers go out to Lisa and her family. I can't believe the most wonderful people have to leave this world before what seems to be way before their time. I personally know exactly what it's like, as this same loss has happened to our daughter and me. Stay close to those you are most spiritually connected to.
Julie Michaels -- who was in some movies with Patrick Swayze -- created a tribute page for him on caring.com: http://www.caring.com/caring-candles/cancer-candle/in-honor-of-patrick-swayze-6/thejewels
I have a life-threatening cancer. I am also a journalist who chooses words carefully. I 'deal' with a chronic illness, I do not 'fight' or 'battle' it, terms the writer repeatedly used. Do we use the same terms used in war for other chronic diseases, such as heart, diabetes, MS etc? And if we do, we shouldn't. I believe people who understand the birth-life-death cycle deal with illnesses as they go about living and ultimately dying. We don't battle life and unless we're egotistical and vai, generally do not fight against the inevitable. One might say life is a battle, and for some, it is even if they do not have cancer. It is unfortunate Swayze and many others die from cancer; it may eventually kill me. But I don't want my obituary to read that 'he put up a valiant battle' or 'put up the good fight' against an illness I did not ask for cancer, I did not do anything to get it, and I am resolved to deal with it - and get to on with life. And I keep a close eye for the inattentive drunk driver or one who is texting or talking on their cell phone and crosses the center line into my lane of traffic. I find these greater threats to my life than dying from cancer or any complications.
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I have a life-threatening cancer. I am also a journalist who chooses words carefully. I 'deal' with a chronic illness, I do not 'fight' or 'battle' it, terms the writer repeatedly used. Do we use the same terms used in war for other chronic diseases, such as heart, diabetes, MS etc? And if we do, we shouldn't. I believe people who understand the birth-life-death cycle deal with illnesses as they go about living and ultimately dying. We don't battle life and unless were egotistical and vai, generally do not fight against the inevitable. One might say life is a battle, and for some, it is even if they do not have cancer. It is unfortunate Swayze and many others die from cancer; it may eventually kill me. But I don't want my obituary to read that 'he put up a valiant battle' or 'put up the good fight' against an illness I did not ask for cancer, I did not do anything to get it, and I am resolved to deal with it - and get to on with life. And I keep a close eye for the inattentive drunk driver or one who is texting or talking on their cell phone and crosses the center line into my lane of traffic. I find these greater threats to my life thn dying from cancer or any complications.
Lisa I am soooo sorry about Patrick :( Stay Strong and keep the faith! Pamela Tucker
My sympathies to you, Lesa, your husband was a beyond words actor and dancer. In listening to reports of his health, I believe firmly that his stamina and state of healthy mind, and diet had alot to do with his living 20 months past diagnosis. What people do not realize, is that the norm is 6 months or LESS. Patrick was born a fighter and he never gave up. I heard about the cookout with friends just shortly ago and wish I had been able to express my gratitude in person. Thank you Patrick for being an inspiration to all of us and I am grateful for God placing you in this world. And, for others who have cancer, take your inspiration from Patrick, work towards getting Congress to give funding and work your fight, never give up, never surrender.
I agree with the comment above, I to had cancer, which at this stage has been told by my doctor that it was taking out and I would not need chemo or radiation. I am very glad about that. With prayers from family, friends and even strangers, I feel this has helped. I have continued to feel stronger and more more like my old self. We need to make the government more aware of natural ways of dealing with this horrendous disease. My God bless those with this serious sickness. My Prayers.
Many prayers to his family. what an awesome attitude to maintain during his struggle...I can relate and know too well that a positive attitude is extremely important. My doctors, radiation team, etc. encourage just that...so as he sais "Keep Up the Fight", and believe in the guardian angels (soldiers) or whatever works for you. God Bless everyone with any form of cancer and also help the family, friends, and loved ones because I believe they too suffer and quite possibly more so emotionally etc. just watching this disease work its' horrors on their loved one. Prayers to all!