Coping With a New Normal After an MS Diagnosis
- On an episode of “MeSsy With Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler,” Applegate, 52, revealed that she was once asked to star in a “Real Housewives” series. During an interview with comedian/actor Martin Short, the actress joked that’d she’d be the “worst housewife.”
- 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.
- Though Applegate claims she’d be a terrible housewife, she did also admit that she’s probably “watched 300 hours of reality television” since her diagnosis has led to more time in bed.
- Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, there are several treatment options to help manage symptoms. Common tools MS patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), which can slow the progression of the disease, according to some studies.
Applegate—who was diagnosed with MS in August 2021 after a brave battle with breast cancer in 2008—revealed she was once asked to be on the “Real Housewives” show on the most recent episode of “MeSsy With Christina Applegate & Jamie-Lynn Sigler.” The pair were interviewing comedian and actor Martin Short.
Read MoreSpeaking to Sigler and Short on “MeSsy,” Applegate said, “I was asked to be a Housewife for Beverly Hills. They asked me to be one probably 10 years ago, and what’s funny is I ended up becoming really good friends with the executive producer of it because our kids went to school together and he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, we asked you.’View this post on Instagram
“And I said … ‘Chris, now that you know me, would I have been a fun house wife?'”
She recounted him replying, “No, it would’ve been the most boring s**t I’ve ever seen in my life.'”
Applegate continued, “I wouldn’t have shown up to any dinners. I would’ve been in my sweatpants, and I’d be lying in bed. What fun is that? No, none of that.
“I would be the worst housewife anyway.”
View this post on Instagram
Although Applegate never tried out reality TV, she did admitted to watching a significant amount of reality shows.
She explained on the podcast, “In the two years that I have been watching from my bed, I have probably watched 300 hours of reality television.”
And although she says she wouldn’t hang out with any of the Real Housewives, she said, “I’m kind of friends with some of them now, more from Below Deck.
“The stews and stuff like that. I have slipped into their DMs and become friends with, like, Captain Lee, he’s amazing, and Kate Chastain and Daisy [Kelliher]. I’m more of the Below Deck people because they are interesting.”
Living With Multiple Sclerosis
- Multiple Sclerosis and Diet: Can the Paleo Diet Manage MS?
- Living With Multiple Sclerosis, TV Host Montel WillIams, 66, Embraces Cannabis For Symptom Relief– The Real Data To Support This
- Amazing Remission: Actress Selma Blair, 51, Says She Had a Stem Cell Transplant And Is In a Great Place Managing Her Multiple Sclerosis
Christina Applegate’s MS Journey
Applegate began experiencing symptoms of multiple sclerosis, a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord, long before she had answers
She actually said she felt off balance during a dance sequence that occurred way back in season one of her dark comedy “Dead to Me.” She later noticed her aptitude for tennis started to fail.
“I wish I had paid attention,” she previously told The New York Times. “But who was I to know?”
View this post on Instagram
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.”
Applegate admits she’ll never fully “accept” her condition, but she did learn how to work with it. And she’s previously talked about how the show was a cathartic outlet and safe space.
“I had an obligation to Liz [Feldman] and to Linda [Cardellini], to our story,” she said of the show’s writer and her 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.'”
‘Cruel Intentions’ Star Selma Blair Rehearses For ‘Dancing With The Stars’ While Living With Multiple Sclerosis.
Applegate wasn’t able to work as hard or as long without her body giving out, but she found pride in her self-sufficiency. With the help of some adjustments to the schedule, she powered through. Nicole Vassell, a writer for 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.”
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.
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.
Currently, there is no cure for MS, although some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs.
There’s Life After a Diagnosis
We admire Applegate for being so candid amid her journey with MS and continuing to open up on her new podcast with Sigler, who also has MS.
Sometimes it can be hard for those facing serious health struggles to see the light at the end of the tunnel — especially after being hit with a diagnosis. However, SurvivorNet has shared thousands of stories from cancer warriors and others who have faced serious issues that prove everyday challenges tend to improve over time. With the support of loved ones that make up your support group, you too can find a way to navigate your emotions.
Applegate and many other MS warriors or cancer survivors continue to demonstrate there’s life after cancer every day by focusing on what brings them joy, happiness, and gratitude.
WATCH: Living In Gratitude — Why Does it Matter?
Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. It’s a mindset that helps people going through tough times, and the experts SurvivorNet spoke with encourage cancer warriors and their loved ones to practice gratitude.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet that his patients who live with gratitude tend to handle treatment better because this attitude is one way to stay mentally healthy.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.