Laughter Through Challenges
- Christina Applegate joked about her MS Diagnosis during the 2024 Emmy Awards earlier, suggesting that laughter is helpful for the actress amid tough times.
- Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in August 2021. The disease impacts the central nervous system and can cause numbness or tingling in your limbs. Everyday activities such as taking a shower and walking up stairs prove challenging for Applegate due to her diagnosis.
- The “Married with Children” star also bravely battled breast cancer after a 2008 diagnosis. She underwent a double mastectomy (removal of both breasts) to help treat the disease.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of the body’s nerves. Currently, there is no cure for MS, although some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs.
- Stand-up comedian Jesus Trejo agrees laughter can heal pain, saying, “The effects of it just reverberate through your body, and can change an already bad situation into a better one.”
- And Dr. Dana Chase, a Gynecologic Oncologist at UCLA Health, says emotional health is associated with better quality of life through a health challenge.
Earlier this year, Applegate—who was diagnosed with MS, a chronic disease of the central nervous system, in August 2021, after a brave battle with breast cancer following a 20078 diagnosis—made a joke about her health struggles after receiving a standing ovation at the annual event, which was broadcast on Fox on January 15.
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Entertainment Tonight shared the video clip of Applegate’s rare appearance, recapping the beautiful moment the actress walked out onto the stage, with her cane in hand, and comedian, and host of the event, Anthony Anderson escorting her in.
Applegate donned a red velvet Christian Siriano gown as she made her appearance to present the first award of the night to Ayo Edebiri for supporting actress in a comedy.
As she was speaking on stage, prior to presenting the award, the crowd often chimed in with applause, prompting Applegate to joking say, “We don’t have to applaud every time I do something.”
Applegate told the audience, “Some of you may know me as Kelly Bundy from ‘Married With Children’ … or Samantha from ‘Samantha Who’ or probably, maybe my last job: Jen Harding from ‘Dead to Me.'”
She then admitted to her emotions amid this arduous chapter in her life, adding, “I’m gonna cry more than I’ve been crying.”
Applegate said, “But very few of you probably know me from [my] debut … I’m gonna cry more than I’ve been crying. Baby Burt Grizzell on ‘Days of Our Lives.’ It was really a breakout.”
Not only was Applegate at the Emmys as a presenter, but she was also a nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for her role as Jen Harding in “Dead to Me.”
It’s great to see Applegate being able to walk with pride on stage at the Emmys despite her debilitating disease as she’s previously admitted to “With the disease of MS, it’s never a good day,” Applegate explained to Vanity Fair. “With the disease of MS, it’s never a good day.”
Living With Multiple Sclerosis
She explained how everyday activities like taking showers, using stairs, and carrying things are all difficult. Since Applegate’s symptoms can have wide-ranging impacts, she noted voiceover work is best suited for her at this stage in her career.
“I can do voiceover stuff because I have to support my family and keep my brain working,” she said.
However, performing on camera is no longer an option for the longtime actress due to her MS symptoms.
“I can’t even imagine going to set right now. This is a progressive disease. I don’t know if I’m going to get worse.”
Laughter Through Challenges
It’s interesting to note, that according to the National Library of Medicine, research has shown that the amount of pain medication needed for patients is reduced after they watch funny movies.
And perhaps laughter, like Applegate makes sure to have in her life, could also help when someone is dealing with the pain that comes amid a health challenge, whether it’s MS or even cancer.
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The importance of positivity amid tough times has been seen through stand-up comedian Jesus Trejo in Long Beach, California.
Trejo became a caregiver for both of his parents after his mother was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and his father was later faced with colon cancer. But instead of panicking and focusing on the devastating nature of the situation, the only child stepped up to care for his parents with love and laughter.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Trejo opened up about how he put his career aside to care for his parents in their time of need while making time to smile along the way.
Stand-Up Comedian & Cancer Caregiver, Jesus Trejo Reminds Us That ‘Laughter is a Game-Changer’
“The only advice I have for anyone watching this is laugh, and laugh often, laugh at yourself. Don’t take yourself seriously. Things are already bad. Because once you do that, it’s a game-changer,””Trejo told SurvivorNet.
He also says the laughter itself might be brief, but “the effects of it just reverberate through your body, and can change an already bad situation into a better one.”
Focusing on hope, and maintaining a positive attitude amid a health battle can always be helpful.
Anecdotal evidence from SurvivorNet experts points to how a positive mindset can impact a cancer prognosis.
Dr. Zuri Murrell of Cedars-Sinai told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow.”
“But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Dana Chase, a Gynecologic Oncologist at UCLA Health, also says it’s important to try to focus on the good, stay positive, and do things that bring you joy to the degree you’re able to do so amid battling a disease like cancer.
“We know, actually from good studies, that emotional health, quality of life is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better survival, better outcomes,” Dr. Chase said in an earlier interview.
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.
Once the protective barrier is damaged, the spinal cord struggles to communicate to the body’s arms, legs, and other parts to function normally.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society lays out the different types of multiple sclerosis:
- Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is when an individual experiences a single neurological episode lasting 24 hours or less. CIS is what MS is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common MS among the million people battling the disease in the US, RRMS is marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
- Primary progressive MS (PPMS): These individuals have no flare-ups or remission, just a steady decline with progressively worse symptoms and an increasing loss of cognitive and body functions.
- Secondary progressive MS (SPMS): This almost transitional form of MS progresses from RRMS to PPMS.
In addition to balance issues, numbness, and tingling in the limbs, as Applegate experienced, other common MS symptoms include vision and bladder control problems. Mood changes and mental and physical fatigue are other symptoms people living with MS may experience, according to the National Institute of Health.
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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains this disease as: “An unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, [MS] can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating, as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.” Investigators of the disease believe it to be an autoimmune disease.
Many people fighting MS experience muscle weakness and difficulty with coordination and balance, so it’s absolutely incredible and encouraging that Applegate was able to present an award in front of so many people at the Emmys.
Currently, there is no cure for MS, although some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are diagnosed with MS or may be concerned you have the chronic disease due to symptoms you’re experiencing, consider asking your doctor the following questions.
- Although there’s no cure for MS, which treatment option to manage my symptoms do you recommend for me?
- Are there any potential side effects of MS treatment?
- What if the treatment to manage symptoms doesn’t work?
- Will exercise or therapy help my symptoms?
- Are there any MS support groups you recommend to help me cope?
Applegate’s Breast Cancer Journey
Applegate’s breast cancer journey began in April 2008 at just 36 years old.
“I went through five weeks of work without telling anyone that this was going on in my life,” she said during a CNN interview.
Applegate said she had dense breasts and would need more thorough examinations for her routine mammogram screenings.
“He suggested that I get an MRI,” the actress said.
WATCH: What to know about dense breasts.
Dr. Connie Lehman, Chief Breast Imaging Division at Mass General Hospital, says dense breast tissue is harder to see through.
“The fatty breast tissue has a gray appearance, so an X-ray beam just runs right through it. But the dense structures block the X-ray. And so that looks white. And unfortunately, cancers also block the X-ray, and so cancers also look white. When you have a white cancer hiding in white, dense breast tissue, it can be missed,” Dr. Lehman explains.
Women with dense breasts are recommended a 3D mammogram, which can better see through dense breasts.
When Applegate underwent an MRI screening, something was amiss.
“They found some funky things going on [in one breast],” she said.
A biopsy confirmed her diagnosis, but luckily, the cancer was caught early. Despite her prognosis, she was still very concerned with her diagnosis. She then turned her worry into determination, and she focused her efforts on beating the cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy, which is a procedure that removes the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue. For early-stage breast cancer, studies have shown that lumpectomy plus radiation is as effective a treatment in preventing breast cancer recurrence as mastectomy.
Applegate then underwent six weeks of radiation, using high-energy beams aimed at the cancer cells to kill them.
During treatment, she then learned she tested positive for the BRCA gene, increasing her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
“That sort of changed everything for me. Radiation was something temporary, and it wasn’t addressing the issue of this coming back or the chance of it coming back in my left breast. I sort of had to kind of weigh all my options at that point,” she explained.
The harmful variant of BRCA1 or BRCA2 is inherited from either or both of your parents. So, each offspring of a parent who carries the mutation has a 50% chance of inheriting it.
“Patients with a strong family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer or patients who have a diagnosis of a couple of breast cancers in their lifetime will be at higher risk,” University of Maryland breast medical oncologist Dr. Kate Tkaczuk explains.
WATCH: Testing for the BRCA gene mutation.
RELATED: Should I have a lumpectomy or mastectomy?
The actress’ doctor gave her treatment options, but she ultimately opted for a double mastectomy, which removes both breasts to reduce her cancer risk. When a woman undergoes a double mastectomy, it is a personal and emotional decision that impacts how they feel about themselves.
“It just seemed like, ‘I don’t want to have to deal with this again. I don’t want to keep putting that stuff in my body. I just want to be done with this,’ and I was just going to let them go,” she explained.
Just before the procedure, Applegate said she staged her “first and last nude photo shoot” so she could remember her breasts. Just before the surgery began, Applegate admitted she began to cry.
“The floodgates just opened up, and I lost it…It’s also a part of you that’s gone, so you go through a grieving process and a mourning process,” she explained.
WATCH: What happens during a double mastectomy.
“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removing of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet. “The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has.”
Dr. Port adds most women do opt to have some reconstruction. The length of these surgeries can vary. When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). There is also the option to take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it into the breast area, but this is a much longer procedure.
Since her breast cancer journey began, she’s advocated for women to undergo the necessary screenings for early detection.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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