When Lisa first learned of Patrick's diagnosis, she says it was surreal. "I didn't trust myself to take in the information. It was mind-numbing," she says. "It was such horrible news." 

Lisa thought she would have a lightbulb moment once she was faced with the reality of Patrick's illness, but the lessons didn't come right away. "You think that you're going to get these terrific illuminations, and I basically looked around and went, 'This is awful,'" she says. "But it happens in its own time. Those lessons come when they're damn good and ready, and not a moment before."

After standing by Patrick's side for almost two years of illness, Lisa says she eventually learned invaluable life lessons. "Mostly, the proverbial 'Do it now,'" she says. "When you're looking at a very limited time with somebody ... you end up living a lot more in the moment and you realize that we don't have anybody for long."

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