Run Down

Run Down is the powerful new memoir by Dr. Michael Gallagher that details his shocking decline from fit triathlete and chief of surgery to bedbound patient searching for answers to a mysterious illness born out of a harrowing bike trip through North Dakota's Badlands. Gallagher's life is built on his ability to endure, but this is one race he cannot finish. He struggles to find the cause of his illness as well as the courage to survive. Misdiagnosed and misunderstood by his colleagues, Gallagher is forced to weather the worst of his illness alone, his isolation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will, ironically, provide clues to his health. Gallagher grapples to find meaning in a life that has been decimated by an invisible enemy. Poignant and perceptive, Run Down explores the the power of positive thinking, and the potency of love, family and perseverance to providing meaning and joy.