Carrie Gallagher's job is to make sure people are healthy.

Up until recently, though, she was anything but.

For three years, the 30-year-old Greenwich resident, who works as a corporate health and wellness trainer, dealt with a variety of unexplained symptoms. She would get strange rashes, along with horrible sinus and joint pain. She was tested for allergies, cancer and thyroid problems, but doctors could not pinpoint the cause of her ailments.

"Something just was never fully right," Gallagher said.

Then, a little more than a year ago, Gallagher woke up coughing bright red blood. She went to Greenwich Hospital, where doctors finally solved the mystery.

Gallagher was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or GPA, a rare form of vasculitis that damages the small blood vessels of the kidneys, lungs, sinuses and other organs. The condition affects only about three of every 100,000 people in the United States.

Three days after she was admitted to the hospital, Gallagher was treated with Rituxan, a drug normally used to stop the growth and spread of cancer cells.

"The doctors told me if I hadn't gone to the hospital, I might not be here," Gallagher said.

Dr. Richard Danehower, a rheumatologist who diagnosed Gallagher when she was in the hospital, said that since blood tests have improved, GPA is much easier to diagnose than it was 20 years ago.

But Danehower said the disorder requires a lot of attention from doctors and patients.

"It's an important diagnosis, and it takes attention and work, and we can't assume things will always be right," Danehower said. "She understands this and she helps herself and helps us work with her."

There is no known cause for the autoimmune disorder, but symptoms are believed to be triggered by stress.

Gallagher had a follow-up treatment with Rituxan in September, and recently started a gluten-free diet that she feels, along with regular yoga and meditation, has helped her live with only minor symptoms.

"I used to be a very anxious person," Gallagher said. "I do whatever I can to minimize that for my health."

Gallagher has started working with the Vasculitis Foundation, which funds research into causes and cures, raises awareness about the disease and provides support services for those living with it. She started and leads a Connecticut support group for people with GPA, which began meeting in February with four other people.

She arranged for a health and wellness speaker to talk about resiliency.

Gallagher's experience has added a new dimension to her job. She works as a trainer for employee assistance programs, going over nutrition, stress management and exercise for workers in Connecticut and New York.

She is taking a course through Greenwich Adult Education on "meditation as medication," and is hoping to share what she learns.

"I think it's so important to stay as positive as you can," Gallagher said. "I never did the `Oh gosh, why me?' thing."; 203-625-4439;