Gregg Leakes is now determined to fight his stage 3 colon cancer after surviving an emergency surgery to remove his infected colon.
- Nov 6, 2018
AceShowbiz - NeNe Leakes' husband had prepared to die before he underwent emergency surgery for his colon cancer. Gregg Leakes revealed, in the season 11 premiere of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta", that he had written a goodbye letter to his 50-year-old wife in case he didn't survive the emergency procedure.
In the Sunday, November 4 episode, the 63 year-old businessman emotionally confessed to NeNe, "I wrote a note to my doctor and I told him to give it to you if I didn't come out. Writing that note was the hardest thing I ever did in my life." He went on to credit his wife for his recovery. "You have been my light," he gushed. "I couldn't do this without you. I couldn't. I wouldn't even try. So I want to thank you, baby."
Recalling the time his doctor diagnosed him with stage 3 colon cancer, Gregg disclosed, "I guess the scariest part about all of this is when we got to the hospital and the doctor saying that we need to do surgery on you tonight or you ain't going to make it." Still, it brought him closer to God as he said, "I went over and prayed to God and I told Him, 'If it's time, let's go. I don't fear death, I don't want to go. If my work here is finished here, take care of them, let's go.' "
Surviving the surgery that had part of his colon removed, Gregg is now determined to battle the illness. "You never know what's in you until you at that door," he shared. "I never thought I had it in me to fight cancer. Now, I want to beat cancer's ass." He concluded, "They cut my colon out, my heart got bigger. I don't need it. It's gone. It was infected."
In the episode, NeNe also got candid about her struggle in witnessing her husband's cancer battle. "I feel like if I crumble, then Gregg and Brentt is going to be over," she opened up. "I just feel like I have to be the strong voice." Nevertheless, she couldn't hide the fact that there were moments when she let herself break down. "I've put on a brave face but I have my moments in my bedroom, usually alone," she spilled. "I've had many moments in my car. If my car could talk it'd be like, 'This b***h cries too much.' "
NeNe and Gregg got married in 1997. The couple has two sons, Bryson and Brentt, together. They got divorced in 2011, a year after she filed for divorce. It took less than two years for the two to get back together and get remarried in 2013. The wedding planning and ceremony was documented on "I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding".
