F*ck, My Brother Had M.D

Introduction

I grew up with a brother who suffered from Muscular Dystrophy, or M.D. It comes in a variety of different forms, the form my brother had was called Duchenne. What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? Let me give you my non-medically trained definition and how WebMD defines it.

P.W.Finlay - Muscular Dystrophy is a medical condition which mainly affects men - if not only? The condition continually deteriorates the person's muscles, leaving them confined to a wheelchair by their teenage years. The average life expectancy of a person suffering from the Duchenne form of Muscular Dystrophy is between twenty and thirty years old.

WebMD - Muscular dystrophies are a group of diseases that make muscles weaker and less flexible over time. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (D.M.D.) is the most common type. It's caused by flaws in the gene that controls how the body keeps muscles healthy.
The disease almost always affects boys, and symptoms usually begin early in childhood. Children with D.M.D. have difficulty standing up, walking, and climbing stairs. Many eventually need wheelchairs to get around. They can also have heart and lung problems.
Although there isn't a cure, the outlook for people with D.M.D. is better than ever. Years ago, children with the disease usually didn't live beyond their teens. Today, they live well into their 30s, and sometimes into their 40s and 50s. There are therapies that can ease symptoms, and researchers are looking for new ones, as well.

I mean, kind of the same? It's nice to see that the lifespan of a person suffering from DMD is increasing. However you describe the condition one thing is for sure; it's a horrible disease which proves that 'God' is either a load of shit or he's a humongous prick - 'Maybe it's a she, you can't call them he'. Fuck off, it's a load of bullshit, it doesn't matter what I call them.

My older brother, Marc was diagnosed with Duchenne at a very young age. By the time he was eleven, he was fully confined to a wheelchair and he died at only 21 years old. Here I want to recap how I saw his deterioration, how little I understood his condition and how in the years since his passing it has become easier yet more difficult to deal with.