SouthShoreNow.ca

Susan Corkum-Greek
Lighthouse staff

 COUNTY - Raymond Brann was standing in his backyard workshop early last spring when a searing pain tore through his left leg.

 "What did I do?," he remembers thinking. But there was no obvious cause.

 While the pain subsided it did not go away. In fact, it began reoccurring with increased frequency and intensity. Before long, Mr. Brann was limping and dragging his left foot. He also became increasingly emotional.

 At the urging of his wife, Mr. Brann went to see their family doctor, who initially thought it might be a case of restless leg syndrome. "It used to shake a lot, especially at night," says Stephanie Brann. Still, not wanting to take any chances, the Branns' doctor made an appointment with a neurologist.

 At first, the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, confirmed by an emergency MRI, was a relief. "The neurologist thought it could have been a brain tumor or spinal blockage," says Mrs. Brann. But the couple's relief was short-lived.

 Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease that randomly attacks the central nervous system, affecting a person's control over their body. Generally diagnosed in the prime family and career building years of 20 to 40, its symptoms range from numbness to paralysis to blindness. And to date, there is no known cause or cure.

 For Mr. Brann, a physical labourer who had never been sick in his life, the news was shattering. "I think it's similar to when a person dies," says Mrs. Brann. "You go through these stages of grief, then anger, then a bargaining period where you think, 'well, if I do my physio, this will go away, right?'"

 The last stage is accepting the disease; a point Mr. Brann says he's now reached. "But I went through all of them," he says.

Living with MS is a family affair for the Branns of First South. Raymond Brann, 36, was diagnosed with the disease last year. He is shown with his wife Stephanie and son Tyler.

 Initially, Mr. Brann was put on steroid treatments but they seemed to do little to lessen his attacks. The family is more encouraged by a new drug he recently began taking. While too early to judge the effectiveness of the injection Betaseron interferon beta-lb, Mr. Brann says it's "definitely doing something.

 "I get a lot of pain in my knee," he explains. Not just a little pain but enough that it takes his leg right out from under him. But within five minutes of injecting Betaseron, the pain disappears. The next day his leg is sore but does not pain, "and there's a big difference," he says. By day two, when the injection is due to be repeated, the pain has returned.

 Learning to live with MS has also meant many lifestyle changes for Mr. Brann, now 36. Formerly a person who was always on the go, he's had to learn to slow down and listen to the cues of his body. When he starts to feel tired, he must rest.

 Mrs. Brann compares her husband's condition to a flashlight that has a weak battery. "It may shine for a short time before it dims, but will shine again briefly after a rest," she says.

 Sometimes Mr. Brann needs several rest periods to get through the day; other days just a couple. "That's the thing about MS," says Mrs. Brann. "There are days when you need a cane or walker to get around, other days you don't." Fatigue is a big factor, she says, but you can't always see fatigue. That leads some people to conclude that MS sufferers are just lazy. And "that couldn't be further from the truth."

 Mr. Brann says he's learned to make the most of his good days, spending extra time with his wife and son. At four years old, Tyler Brann knows all about his dad's condition. "We explain everything to him," says Mrs. Brann. "This affects him too."

 "That's one thing this disease has taught me," says Mr. Brann, "you don't take anything for granted."