Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward

by Lisa Niemi Swayze

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 364 ratings · 84 reviews

Wait a minute . . .

. . . there.

I made it to the next moment.

And that’s how you get through a bad moment of grief. You do it one moment at a time.

—from Worth Fighting For

...more Wait a minute . . .

. . . there.

I made it to the next moment.

And that’s how you get through a bad moment of grief. You do it one moment at a time.

—from Worth Fighting For

LISA NIEMI and PATRICK SWAYZE were married for thirty-four years. They first met as teenagers at his mother’s dance studio—he was older and just a bit cocky; she was the beautiful waif who refused to worship the ground he walked on. Through the years their marriage strained under the pressures that many do, but it was always a uniquely passionate and creative partnership.

When they first exchanged vows, Lisa promised to be with her husband “till death do us part.” But how many couples stop and think about what that truly means? Worth Fighting For is a remarkably candid look at what losing a partner really entails—how to care for him or her, how to make it through each day without falling into despair, and how to move forward in the second half of your life when the person you spent the first half with is gone.

For the first time, Lisa Niemi Swayze shares the details of Patrick’s twenty-one-month battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, and she describes his last days, when she simply tried to keep him comfortable. She writes with heartbreaking honesty about her grief in the aftermath of Patrick’s death, and she openly discusses the challenges that the years without him have posed.

While this is an emotionally honest and un-flinching depiction of illness and loss, it is also a hopeful and life-affirming exploration of the power of the human spirit. Lisa shows that no matter how dark the prospect of another day may seem, there are always reserves of strength to call upon. She writes, “I tell you, I am a different person now. One who has been thrown into the fire and forged.” Like The Year of Magical Thinking and A Widow’s Story, this book is both a tribute to a marriage and a celebration of the healing power that each day holds, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

(less)

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published January 3rd 2012 by Atria Books (first published December 31st 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Books I want to read in 2012

159th out of 395 books — 334 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,030)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 10, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

See this review on 1776books.net...
http://1776books.blogspot.com/2012/01...

Patrick Swayze. For my generation, he was Johnny Castle who was angry that Baby was in the corner. He was the oldest brother in The Outsiders, which started the career of so many actors of our time. He competed with Chris Farley in the Chippendale dance off on Saturday Night Live. He was larger than life, a darn good actor, and from what we could see, an all-around great guy.

Lisa Niemi and Patrick Swayze were married for...more

like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Quinn Bytheway rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lisa , I hope you check your reviews from time to time. I want you to know your book was so honest. You didn't mince your words about the pain of losing someone. I am impressed with your honestly. That you didn't try to sugar coat it. 1 corinthians 15 : 26 describes death as an enemy check it out in any bible. If you want to know the truth about what the bible teaches about death talk with the Jehovah's Witnesses. They are the only ones that teach what the bible says. It can give you peace of m...more

like · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ever since I first found out Patrick Swayze had pancreatic cancer, I began to read everything that I could find about his life, and his illness. I totally enjoyed the book he and Lisa wrote: The Time of My Life, which told the story of their 34-year marriage, and touched somewhat of his battle with cancer. Having lost (2) loved ones to pancreatic cancer, I've witnessed first-hand how awful and just how hopeless everyone feels when a loved one gets the diagnosis Swayze received. Swayze's battle w...more Ever since I first found out Patrick Swayze had pancreatic cancer, I began to read everything that I could find about his life, and his illness. I totally enjoyed the book he and Lisa wrote: The Time of My Life, which told the story of their 34-year marriage, and touched somewhat of his battle with cancer. Having lost (2) loved ones to pancreatic cancer, I've witnessed first-hand how awful and just how hopeless everyone feels when a loved one gets the diagnosis Swayze received. Swayze's battle was a long and hard fought one, lasting (21) months from the time he was diagnosed with Stage IV in January of 2008. He died in September of 2009.

In this book, listed under biography / autobiography, Lisa Niemi Swayze details her husband's cancer battle, his debilitating on-going treatments, and constant changes in treatment plans when one plan was no longer working. We not only learn about what Patrick went through, but what it was like for Lisa, a dedicated caregiver, to watch the man she loved for 30+ years to become weaker and weaker and no longer even resemble the man she had spent her life with. The details about the illness were very painful to read at times, especially what his final weeks and days were like. When things were at their worst, she speaks of the strength that comes to you in situations like this that you never imagined you possessed. Her courage and commitment to him during his illness, is testament to the power of the human spirit.

Her story seems brutally honest, as she shares with the reader the happy times they had, surprises along the way, and other personal facts that I hadn't be aware of before. She also details the rocky periods of their marriage when her husband's drinking was out of control, they separated, and she was uncertain as to whether their marriage could even he saved. Especially touching was the epilogue where is writes about her life one year and eight months after Patrick's death; it seemed very heartfelt. This book is not for everyone, but I was very happy I read it.

"I tell you, I am a different person now. One who has been thrown into the fire and forged."(less)

like 3 likes · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, biography

I picked this up because I loved Joan Didion's book on widowhood, The Year of Magical Thinking and because I was a 12-year-old girl who fell in love with Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing and then fell in love with his very real seeming marriage after reading Time of My Life the book he cowrote with his wife. Now, a few years after her husband's death, I wanted to make sure that Lisa Niemi was okay.

However, this book was primarily Lisa's story of Patrick's battle with cancer and all the living she...more

like 3 likes · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Roset Troy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really didn't think I would like this book, but decided to read a few pages anyway since I was about to check it back into a book club I am a member of. I only read 20 pages before I decided I liked Lisa Niemi's writing style enough to read the book, even though you know it is going to end with Patrick Swayze's death. Lisa drew me in with her compassion and attention to detail. She was funny at times, which is hard to be considering she was writing about her soul mate dying. To be married 34 y...more

like · see review

Feb 10, 2012 Sarah Q. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very well written, thoughtful, and honest book. Lisa recounts all the ups and the downs from Patrick's diagnosis to his death and you feel every single emotion as though it is your own. The triumph when a new treatment works, the frustration with infections, the sadness and heartbreak at the end, but above all you feel the love that these two people shared for and with each other. At times it was difficult to read, not because it wasn't attention holding, but because of the topic at h...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Claire rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a very honest account of how Lisa dealt with Patrick's illness & subsequent death. It was very Lisa oriented- which you would imagine, her being the author- and I felt was more about what Lisa went through as opposed to Buddy. The book shows her to be a very strong woman who almost ran herself into the ground for months and months to make Patrick her number 1 priority. The love between the two of them is hugely evident. It was heartbreaking reading what he had to endure. He seemed t...more

like 1 like · see review

May 08, 2012 Aileen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book to be an amazing account of Lisa & Patrick's journey through this horrible, unforgiving disease. Having lost 2 close family members to this disease, this book helped me understand what they must have been going through with this disease, all of the treatments and medications, that in the end only made them comfortable.
Thank you Lisa for letting us into this very private time of yours and Patrick's life that made me have a giggle at some of the little stories, made me marve...more

like 2 likes · see review

Feb 10, 2012 Nawnee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: freebie-books

I really enjoyed getting this glimpse inside their love story, and yes this is mostly written after Patrick gets diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. But the obvious love they have built there relationship on shines through.I Went along for the roller coaster of emotional up's and down's. This was hard for me to bare witness too. I have a brain tumor that is a constant battle everyday and that made this book hit me a lot harder cause I know how hard this is on the patient, and there loved ones. All...more

like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 Crystal rated it 2 of 5 stars

Back in 2010 i read The Time of my Life by Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi, I loved that book and when I saw that Patrick Swayze's wife Lisa had another book out, I knew that I had to read it too! It was a good book and had some parts that you just couldn't put down, mainly towards the end of the book. I wrote down a few of the quotes that I liked as well:

Words are incredibly poor substitutes for enormous feelings.

It’s so hard to know what to do when someone is ill. I was so afraid that I...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Cyndi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Patrick Swayze Fans, Cancer Victims Families

Shelves: biography, non-fiction

I was a fan of Patrick Swayze and was interested to hear what his wife had to say.

There wasn't much new information in this book vs. what they wrote in his biography. This was her version of events from the time he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer until he died, and a little bit after.

It was not that well written with a lot of rambling and saying the same thing over and over. Up until he became very ill I was somewhat annoyed with repeatedly reading about how strong and determined he was, h...more I was a fan of Patrick Swayze and was interested to hear what his wife had to say.

There wasn't much new information in this book vs. what they wrote in his biography. This was her version of events from the time he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer until he died, and a little bit after.

It was not that well written with a lot of rambling and saying the same thing over and over. Up until he became very ill I was somewhat annoyed with repeatedly reading about how strong and determined he was, how long they'd been together, how evil the tabloids are, how much they loved each other and how much she did for him. I wish some of that had been edited out as it really only needed to be said once. I got it the first time.

Having said that, I cannot imagine watching your husband of 30+ years die, especially while also very much in the public eye. I was affected by his illness and death and I never even met the man! They seem to have been a loving couple, with typical marital problems (not caught up in the drama of Hollywood but also flawed, like everyone else) who were dealt a very harsh blow that took his life way too early. She was left to fend for herself and it was absolutely heartbreaking. By the time she described his final days, death and aftermath, I was sobbing uncontrollably.

She sounds like a strong woman who is a decent writer. I did like how honest she was about everything. She made them both sound very real and relatable.

I was absolutely appalled by one topic that was mentioned only very briefly in this book. Some chemo treatments can cost from $40K-$250K EACH. This is ABSURD. Generally chemo treatments are ordered as a course over several weeks. If each treatment is that expensive, and insurance doesn't cover it or the patient has no insurance they simply don't get treatment. The author obtained this information when Patrick was starting one of his last courses of chemo and was in between insurance policies. It all worked out fine for them (financially speaking...insurance did cover it). But there had been a woman who created a website for her own benefit to get into a clinical trial. She had set up the site to make it appear that Patrick Swayze was somehow involved in order to raise money for herself so she could pay for a new treatment. That struck me as beyond horrific and sad.(less)

like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 Donna Hixon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started reading this last night. Once I started crying I couldn't stop feeling so bad for both Lisa and PAtrick. I loved him in Dirty Dancing and most of his movies. I hated to hear that he had pancreatic cancer because it is one of the worst. This book is very sad but well written. I'm sure it was hard for her to write. Those suffering from cancer may find it useful. I am depressed now.
He beat the odds for a while but the ending was already written when this book started.

like · see review

Jan 28, 2012 Leanne Ellis rated it 3 of 5 stars

It was sad and it was good. Almost the entire book takes place after he was diagnosed. A powerful moment for me: over 200 pages in, she's been recounting all the ups and downs of his illness and various treatments and trips to doctors, and they are on their ranch outside at sunset with a beautiful river and forest and nature everywhere, and he turns to her and says with such earnestness, "I want to live." That will stay with me.

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Kait Carson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I can only imagine how hard this book was to write. Niemi tells the story of her husband's illness and fight for his life with honesty and integrity. It is a warts and all book, she pulls no punchs and clearly depicts cancer as an enemy not only of the victim, but of the family as well. Patrick Swayze comes across as human - a man, not a superstar. Even though I knew the ending, I was hoping for a different conclusion.

like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Kirsti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My eyes are puffy and red, and I actually had to put the book down a few times to stop tears from hitting the paper. An incredibly honest book, and really personal and confronting. I have not read Patrick's book, but I will now. This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year, so beautifully written and heartfelt. Warning, carry tissues and do not read in a public place!

like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Ineke Van rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A heart-wrenching story of loss albeit a very medical 'rundown' of the various stages of Patrick's battle with pancreatic cancer. Never, ever, self-pitying, it recounts Lisa's constant vigilance and strength throughout what must have been a horrendous ordeal for her to live through, never wavering in her love for her husband, to the point of most days forgetting about her own needs. Selfless love! Only through the parts that are published in italics does Lisa ever reveal her real feelings and th...more

like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Cheryl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Being a widow myself and going through my husbands cancer like Lisa I was able to understand a lot of what they were going through!! It was a bit disheartening when she metioned they were able to 'buy'certain help although i had to laugh when she baulked at $40 thousand for some treatment! Otherwise a great book, Thanks Lisa for sharing with us your journey, as i say lots of similarity to the journey i had with my late husband. I only got 7 months, she got 21 months!! But not sure which i would...more

like 1 like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Miriam added it

This book took me to when I cared for my Mom and my Dad. All the emotions I felt at that time, Lisa felt as she cared for Patrick. It was truly a well written book, sort of sad because you know the outcome but also very uplifting because Lisa did everything she could to make Patrick's life as good as it could be while he fought pancreatic cancer.

like · see review

Aug 12, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I stood in the bookshop last week, and glanced through the back of this book, which was making me teary. Rather than let my mascara pour off in the shop, I reserved this book at the library. I picked it up on Friday afternoon, and had it finished by the next day.

This is Lisas story of her life and marriage with Patrick Swayze, with their good and bad times. It mainly focuses on the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and his treatments and ultimate death. Written soon after his passing this book is...more

like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent book on love, marriage, and fighting cancer. Their marriage wasn't perfect but it was full of love and respect for each other. This is a story of their journey of th fighting pancreatic cancer that would eventually take his life. Very heartfelt and a very difficult story for his wife to tell. Very surreal finished this in between Whitney Houston's death and Valentine's Day.

like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Andrea Bauer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ugh.....so many emotions in this book as Lisa opens her heart to the readers of what she dealt with while Patrick was battling pancreatic cancer. So heartfelt, you can really relate if you've lost a loved one to a deadly disease such as pancreatic cancer. Great read, be prepared to have tissues!

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Tracey Quintin rated it 5 of 5 stars

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I absolutely adore Lisa for her strength courage hope inspiration endurance patience and the list goes on.

This had to be such an incredibly hard book to write. Lisa you are a gift sent to us from heaven who will one day meet your Buddy again!

like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 D rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quite possibly the most mundane account of a life/relationship in print. Lisa Neime Swayze paints herself as the victim throughout this biography, as supposed to focusing on the plight of Patrick. This, leaving the reader frustrated and struggling to complete the book. A huge let down..

like 1 like · see review

May 12, 2012 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just drawn to this couple Ive enjoyed PS's movie. Her book was well written. I admire their love they had,their 30 something marriage! Id love to experience the kidn of love they had for each other. The ending was gripping & sad,I bawled when Patrick died. It was heart wrenching. A definate read!

like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Barbara Rasch rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this book. The love Patrick and Lisa shared is obvious in every word. They were strong individuals, but they proved stronger together. Lisa is a wonderfully articulate woman, whose love will keep Patrick's legacy alive. Loved this book.

like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the most honest, open books ever...written in a voice that will have you swearing that Lisa Niemi Swayze is speaking just to you. There is no choice but to feel amazing joy, choking grief, boundless love, bitterness, courage, and inspiration.

like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 r.b. marked it as to-read

I'm disappointed that this book isn't about how Patrick Swayze was reincarnated as a horse and found his wife and they reignited their love.
But don't worry, I'm writing a fanfic in which that will happen. I'm calling it 50 Shades of Neigh.

like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Gloria Sagen rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was an extremely personal retelling of the years that her husband went through his chemo and what their life was like. I loved Patrick Swayze and my boyfriend was going through treatment for cancer at Stanford, the same time Patrick Swayze was so I identified strongly with Lisa in her retelling of these very difficult years.

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Lindsey Byrne added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone x

i think lisa is a very brave woman for being there for patrick when most people who have run for the hills. I would say if your planning on reading this then you better have your tissues ready for the last two chapters and thats all i say xx

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Lydia Alexis Cyrus rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read Patrick's book by chance a few months ago. I stumbled upon the book at my local bookstore for $4 and said why not. After reading it, I burst into tears. Being 2012, I knew Patrick was going to die from his cancer. It also just happened to be that I lost my aunt in March of 2011 to lung cancer. when I heard that this books had came out, I was thrilled. I bought in on my Kindle and jumped into it. I was not as happy with it as the previous read. I'm not sure why, but a lot of the book disa...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 34 35 next »

Biography

13 users

Biography > Autobiography

5 users

Autobiography > Memoir

5 users

Death

3 users

Book Club

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Lisa Niemi Swayze

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Worth Fighting Fo...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward
avg rating	preview: Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward Goodreads rating: 4.09 (364 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11968723-worth-fighting-for?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1324432761l/11968723.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11968723-worth-fighting-for?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward by Lisa Niemi Swayze[/url]

Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (8)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Lisa Niemi Swayze

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Worth Fighting Fo...

Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (8)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Lisa Niemi Swayze

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Worth Fighting Fo...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (8)