Thriving during a Health Battle
- Christina Applegate recently attended her first awards show since her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. She had her 11-year-old daughter by her side in a matching outfit.
- Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), according to the Mayo Clinic. Most people with MS go through periods of new symptoms or relapses followed by quiet periods of disease remission.
- A harrowing health journey comes with a complex range of emotions. Even the most resilient and positive fighters know it's important to let out the negative emotions too.
Applegate attended the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, January 15 her first awards show since she announced her Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, diagnosis in 2021. She was a nominee for best actress in a comedy series for her lead role as Jen in Netflix's acclaimed series "Dead To Me."
Read MoreBut even more special than the outfit was the person she shared her unforgettable evening with her daughter, Sadie Grace LeNoble, 11. She, too, rocked a black suit with Dr. Martens.
Critics choice awards nails. It says Jen and Judy. And the other pic is of the best date ever … my rad daughter pic.twitter.com/LY7lxSb472
christina applegate (@1capplegate) January 16, 2023
“Critics choice awards nails,” Applegate wrote in another Tweet. “It says Jen and Judy. And the other pic is of the best date ever … my rad daughter.”
Although she didn’t bring home any trophies, Applegate was thriving. And SurvivorNet is happy to see the breast cancer survivor and MS warrior living it up after the harrowing health journey she’s had in recent years.
Christina Applegate’s MS Journey
Christina Applegate began experiencing symptoms of the condition long before she had answers. In fact, she said she felt off balance during a dance sequence that occurred way back in season one of the dark comedy. She later noticed her aptitude for tennis start to fail.
"I wish I had paid attention," she told The New York Times. "But who was I to know?"
It took several years of worsening tingling and numbness in her extremities before her diagnosis arrived while on set. This life-altering realization wouldn't stop Applegate from finishing her portrayal of Jen Harding, but she did need a break. Production of the final season ceased for about five months as she began treatment.
"There was the sense of, 'Well, let's get her some medicine so she can get better,'" Applegate said. "And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time."
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Applegate admits she'll never fully "accept" her condition, but she did learn how to work with it.
"I had an obligation to Liz [Feldman] and to Linda [Cardellini], to our story," she said of the show's writer and co-star respectively. "The powers that be were like, 'Let's just stop. We don't need to finish it. Let's put a few episodes together.' I said, 'No. We're going to do it, but we're going to do it on my terms.'"
Applegate wasn't able to work as hard or as long or in heat without her body giving out, but she found pride in her self-sufficiency. And with the help of some adjustments in blocking, she powered through. Nicole Vassell, a writer for the The Independent, says other programs should learn from the way Applegate's "physical changes [were] seamlessly incorporated into the show."
"This is the first time anyone's going to see me the way I am," Applegate said. "I put on 40 pounds; I can't walk without a cane. I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that."
What Is Christina Applegate’s Disease: Multiple Sclerosis?
Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system), according to the Mayo Clinic.
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It causes the immune system to attack the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers which leads to communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Eventually, MS can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves.
Signs and symptoms of MS can vary widely but may include:
- Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time, or your legs and trunk
- Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)
- Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait
- Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement
- Prolonged double vision
- Blurry vision
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Tingling or pain in parts of your body
- Problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function
Most people with MS go through periods of new symptoms or relapses followed by quiet periods of disease remission. These relapses can develop over days or weeks and the remission periods can last for months or even years.
Navigating the Emotions of a Health Journey
When it comes to a difficult health journey, the road ahead will likely present both physical and mental challenges. There may be a lot of things out of your control, but it's important to remember you are not alone and there are resources and people out there who can provide support.
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"Grief comes in waves," Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist and director of supportive care services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "They're grieving the change in their life. The future they had imagined is now different."
Taking care of your mental health should always be a priority. And Dr. Irwin stressed how helpful talk therapy could be when dealing with mixed emotions. It's important to reach out to your doctor, a therapist or support groups in your community if you feel like you're struggling.
Ni Guttenfelder can attest to the benefits of therapy. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2017 and quickly decided she needed a therapist to help process her feelings. Her suggestion is to seek a counselor you're comfortable with and you trust.
"Initially I went to a session where I just cried and the counselor basically told me what I was feeling was normal and didn't offer me any type of feedback. But I knew that I needed something more than that. Not just a crying session and a pat on my shoulder," she told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "What I have found is that it's critical to find the right counselor, not just any counselor."
Once she found a counselor she could truly open up to, Guttenfelder began to see some clarity.
"One of the things that my counselor has taught me from the very beginning that has helped me is the concept of acceptance," she says. "Acceptance is a process. It's like downloading a computer file in increments. Visualizing it in that way has really helped me."
Her therapist also taught her how to manage the people in her life. She decided to look into her relationship with her father, for example, because he was resistant to the idea of her receiving chemotherapy.
"It makes it more of an uphill battle and a challenge because we'll sometimes get into arguments about it," she says. "My counselor would say, for my own benefit and health that it's best to limit the time with others who may not be lifting me up during my treatment."
In addition, don't be afraid of feeling the negative emotions that come with a health battle. Anger, shame, fear, anxiety they're all to be expected.
You Just Have to Let it Out: Survivor Evelyn Reyes-Beato on Healing Emotionally After Cancer
Evelyn Reyes-Beato is a resilient woman who's also had to deal with the complexity of emotions during her colon cancer journey. She comes from a culture where health issues and feelings aren't normally talked about, but she found that expressing her emotional pain was a big factor in helping her overall physical health.
"You have to let it out," Evelyn previously told SurvivorNet. "Your mental and your emotional help your physical get in line. If you keep all of the emotions in, the way I see it, is that stuff is going to eat you up inside and it's not going to let you heal."
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