Susan Geston told doctors to "save his life no matter what" as he battled COVID while in chemotherapy.
Jeff Bridges just turned 73 years old! It's been a rough couple of years for the acting legend. The Oscar-winning actor was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2020. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system and begins in lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the body's immune system. They are found in the lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and other parts of the body. What's worse is the actor ended up getting COVID while in chemotherapy. Through it all, his wife of 45 years was his pillar of strength.
Amid the actor's health battle, his wife Susan Geston got a call from the hospital saying that they may have to put him on a ventilator. "I said, 'Save his life. No matter what you have to do,'" Geston told PEOPLE. At the time, the True Grit star nearly died of COVID. "I had no defenses. That's what chemo does — it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it," Bridges said. "COVID made my cancer look like nothing. I was pretty close to dying. The doctors kept telling me, 'Jeff, you've got to fight. You're not fighting.' I was in surrender mode. I was ready to go. I was dancing with my mortality," The Big Lebowski actor shared. While he was on the brink of death, he and his wife fought to ensure he remained alive. And survive he did. Now, he's treasuring life's simple joys, especially spending time with Susan. "It's all like a bad dream now," Susan said of the year and a half her husband was sick. "And now's the good dream part."
In an interview with the AARP magazine in 2014, the actor referred to himself as the kite and his wife as the string who lets him be himself and soar while keeping him grounded. Long-time friend, Loyd Catlett, said, "Sue brings Jeff down to earth. In this business, you've got everybody telling you how great you are. In a loving way, she says, 'All right, honey, let's get down to reality.'" The actor admitted, "What they don't tell you about marriage is that it just keeps getting better on all levels — emotion, sex, intimacy. Intimacy is what we're all looking for," he shared. "It's kind of a big high." Commitment and fidelity is also an important factor in their long-lasting relationship which takes work. “If you change partners every time it gets tough or you get a little dissatisfied, then you don’t get the richness that’s available in a long-term relationship." Bridges shared, according to Country Living, “My wife supports me, and it makes me love her more."
References:
https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/style-trends/info-2014/jeff-bridges-aarp-interview.html#slide1
https://www.countryliving.com/life/a46049/jeff-bridges-susan-geston/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris
