‘There’s a lot going on’ with comic Jim Breuer

But now — as Breuer prepares to perform Saturday at the South Point hotel — here’s his gut-wrenching follow-up:

Six weeks after his father died, his sister died. There’s more.

“And I’m dealing with Mom now, who’s borderline Alzheimer’s, and that’s a struggle,” Breuer told me.

“And my wife’s now sick. There’s a lot going on.”

I have to say, over the course of many years in journalism, it is automatic for me to ask someone in Breuer’s position, “What does you wife have?” But I failed. I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. It’s just like, how many challenges can life hand one family in a short amount of time?

Now, obviously, there are people reading this column, thinking, “Well, let me tell you about how much stuff my family is going through.” Oh, I know. Two years ago, I had a week from hell, and it still hurts.

But that’s why it’s important for all of us to reach out to people and share our emotions with friends, family, a therapist, work comrades, your haidresser, or whoever.

Talking helps.

“It’s why I talk about it on stage,” Breuer said. “If I didn’t have the stage to talk about it, I’d probably be nuts by now, or I’d be an addict.”

Breuer — who is known as a clean comedian who frequently earns standing ovations — said he and his crowds bond over real life.

“I find the funny in the dark part. People are so afraid of tests and illness. But it’s around all of us, in our families, all the time. I’d rather attack it and be funny at it, but leave you uplifted.”

The uplifting part of making people laugh is very important to Breuer.

“I don’t want to leave with (an attitude of) ‘This sucks, and you suck, and life sucks.’ I want to say, ‘Hey, this sucks, but here’s the funny. We’re all in this together, let’s move along.’”

And people in the crowd can relate because of their similar struggles.

“When people realize, ‘Oh, it’s not just me,’ you feel so much better,” Breuer said.

By the way, Breuer (who has a new special, “Comic Frenzy,” hitting Epix on May 29) still does have a loving family. He and his wife are raising kids in Long Island.

The comic recently put up a little YouTube video of his 16-year-old daughter singing “Let It Go” in the car.

And Breuer comically complained to me about having to go shopping for personal items for a daughter.

“I never thought I would be in the drug store, and I’m looking at the picture of what tampon I have to buy. I’m like, ‘How did I end up here? This is what I do in my free time. I have to buy tampons and oil for her face?’”

I laughed and said, “That sounds like a father’s worst nightmare.”

“Hey,” Breuer said. “As long as I’m not buying condoms, I’m all right.”

Contact Doug Elfman at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogst at reviewjournal.com/elfman. Find him on Twitter: @VegasAnonymous