There was a long stretch in between when I met my first customer with Pulmonary Hypertension, and when I had my next encounter. I mean, it is a rare disease so I thought this encounter was a 1 in a million. Once I started at my current salon that once in a million encounter has become more frequent.
Within the first few months working my new position I had my next run in with someone impacted by this disease. She had driven all the way from Mineral WA to our salon to get her hair done. It had been a while, because she didn't go into town much. Apparently her husband has a rare lung condition, so they thought it would be better to be out of the city and in the fresh country air. Now I was thinking COPD when I asked her what his condition was, males with PH are even more rare when taking about this rare condition. I was shocked when she told me he had PH, I mean what is the likelihood of coming across another person with PH at work?
Even more recently Gary and I were having a meeting to discuss the upcoming dance and we happened to run into some clients that see a stylist at my shop. They are our some of our favorite clients. The wife is on oxygen, and I was aware that there was something wrong with her heart. Gary and I stopped to chat on our way out, and Gary mentioned to them what we were up too - planning a Pulmonary Hypertension fundraising event.
The next time this couple came into my work she called me over and told me that the reason she is in heart failure is because she also has Pulmonary Hypertension. I couldn't believe it! Next, the stylist that was working on her mentioned that she believes that one of her other clients also has PH. But isn't this a rare disease!?
At diagnosis I never thought I would meet another person with PH, even as time progressed and I became active in PHA I still never would have expected to meet someone outside of my support groups that had this disease. Now it's almost like other patients are gravitating towards me. Does this happen to other people? Am I a magnent? Either way it is always a fantastic surprise when it happens, and I pray that these chance meetings give them encouragement!
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