Sharing and Stories

A couple of weeks ago I met a phriend. One of those phriends you have emailed, spoken to on the phone but have never met. Well, we decided to meet and she came up to my neck of the woods from the Pittsburgh area.

It was a “let’s meet for coffee” thing. I live near a major outlet mall and I thought meeting there would be convenient for both of us. Easy access for her from the Interstate and it’s only 3 miles from where I live – what more could one ask for.

Now that I think about it, it was St. Pat’s Day. I emailed and said I would be wearing a hot pink sweater – figuring everyone else would be in green. Something to keep in mind when you meet for the first time; wearing something that stands out. I also mentioned I would be the one with a hose in her nose and a tube in her….. hmmm chest. <<< that’s an inside joke for those who have pulmonary hypertension and are on an IV Medication. :o}

We are both involved with pulmonary hypertension, I being a patient and support group leader and she being a caregiver. She told me about herself and her concerns and interests and I told her about me – now that I think about it, a lot about me and I’m usually the listener.

We talked about what’s on the horizon for PH – actually that’s the title for our next support group meeting which is toward the end of this month. We talked about coping about sharing joys, fears and concerns. You name it, I betcha we talked about it and I won’t go into specifics as it would be too long and I would probably wear my fingers out typing it all. But if I would I could place it in a time capsule and take it out in a year or so and see if my thoughts/concerns would be answered – continued research to find a cure, continued awareness; there are still too many doctors who don’t understand the seriousness of this disease. That pretty much hits the nail on the head.

We shared our stories and had tears of joy or laughter at times and also those tears of sorrow that can come from pain, be it physical or emotional; that pain that can afflict someone with a rare and life threatening disease such as pulmonary hypertension – the Dastardly Disease; the pain and emotions a caregiver has to endure as well. They also have very emotional needs. What would that time capsule reveal as to their concerns?

We spent almost two hours chatting away and ended on a happy note – those are the best to end on. I had a great time and I believe she did as well. I am looking forward to our next “let’s meet for coffee”.

Merle
Always remember to smile – it’s contagious