Cody Galligan

My name is Cody Galligan and I am a 22 year old college student. I am currently in my senior year at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay where I am studying Musical Theatre. Starting around mid July of 2014 I began having my first symptoms of lyme. This started with my left arm and hand going numb and hand tremors and chest pains. Which led me to the emergency room because I thought I was having a stroke or heart attack. The emergency room diagnosed me with an ulnar nerve palsy which is basically a pinched nerve. Though my arm continued to get worse I began seeing my family doctor. She decided it was best that I see a neurologist who could help me more. Days before my appointment with the neurologist I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating lower back pain which ended me back at the emergency room. I had an immediate CT scan and urine test which both came back clear. I then had a blood test which came back normal besides my white blood cell count was high and so was my creotine levels. The er dismissed me as having an abdominal virus. I finally met with with the neurologist who ordered an MRI right away for me. I received a call after it that they had found something on my brain stem and would need to do another MRI to make sure. I had to wait a whole week between the two test which seemed like an eternity. I sat the whole time thinking I had brain cancer and depression hit hard. The second MRI results came in and it turned out it was just a shadow on the MRI and that my brain was clear. I was so relieved but was back to no answers again. I then had an EMG done which again came back clear except for a little big of carpel tunnel in my left wrist. I was starting to think I was crazy and would never find a correct diagnosis. After finally going back to my family doctor I brought up lyme disease because multiple family friends had brought it up. I asked my doctor to be tested for it even though she didn't think it was what it was. Well sure enough the results came back positive for strand of Lyme. I was finally diagnosed on August 27th and have started treatment with antibiotics and this is my journey!