Five Years After Entering Multiple Sclerosis Remission, ‘Cruel Intentions’ Selma Blair, 54, Reflects on How Long It Took Before Doctors Quit Dismissing Her Symptoms

Before her official MS diagnosis in 2018, Blair — a mother of one — spent years trying to understand her unusual symptoms. She says doctors sometimes dismissed her concerns or suggested explanations that didn’t match what she was experiencing.

She previously told Meet the Press that one doctor brushed off her symptoms when she was younger — symptoms that can include numbness and tingling in the limbs — and told her the solution was simply to get a “boyfriend.”

“I just cried,” Blair said. “I had no capability to process. ‘What am I supposed to do with this information?’ I knew the pain was real. I thought it was. But I did start to convince myself, ‘You’re overly sensitive. There’s nothing wrong with you. Get it together, you lazy, lazy whatever.’”

Blair added that boys and men with similar symptoms were taken far more seriously. “It was a gender bias, a lot of it,” she said. “There would be a boy in my grade who went in for the exact same chronic headache and fever, and he was in surgery and getting an MRI within the week.”

Blair has been candid about her MS journey since going public in 2018. Despite symptoms like numbness, weakness, fatigue, and unsteadiness, she’s refused to let the disease define her. “I don’t live in fear of this condition,” she previously said on the “Today” show, a reflection of the determination that has made her an inspiration to many.

As part of her treatment, Blair underwent chemotherapy and later shared photos on Instagram of her hair regrowth after losing it during treatment.

She also pursued an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT), a procedure that “resets” the immune system by collecting a patient’s own stem cells, wiping out the existing immune system with chemotherapy, and reintroducing the cells to rebuild a healthier one.

Research published in Frontiers in Neurology highlights the promise of AHSCT for MS. A meta-analysis found a transplant‑related mortality rate of 2.1%, a two‑year disease progression rate of 17.1%, and an impressive 83% of patients showing no evidence of disease activity at two years. Patients with relapsing‑remitting MS (RRMS) saw the greatest benefit with the lowest risk.

Additional findings from NEJM Journal Watch report that AHSCT reduces relapses more effectively than some other MS treatments.

Better Understanding of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an “immune‑mediated condition,” meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, explains Dr. Lauren Krupp, a neurologist at NYU Langone.

“We’re not exactly sure why that happens,” she tells SurvivorNet, “but it probably has to do with exposure to a virus at some point. In the effort to fight off that virus, the immune system turns against itself and specifically targets a coating of the nerves called myelin.”

Myelin protects nerve fibers in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. When it’s damaged, communication between the brain and the rest of the body becomes disrupted.

Since MS can affect different areas of the brain or spinal cord, Dr. Krupp notes, “the symptoms can vary in location.”

Common symptoms include:

• Numbness or tingling in the face
• Numbness or weakness in the arms or legs
• Vertigo or a spinning sensation
• Blurred or lost vision
• Poor coordination

Symptoms may appear on one side of the body or, when the spinal cord is involved, on both. Numbness can spread and may be accompanied by muscle weakness.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes MS as “an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system” that can range from relatively mild to significantly disabling, depending on how severely communication between the brain and body is affected. Researchers widely consider it an autoimmune disease.

There is currently no cure for MS, but many people manage the condition with medications, steroid treatments, or, in some cases, chemotherapy‑based therapies designed to calm the immune system and slow disease activity.

Learning to Live With MS

Common tools M.S. patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

A study in American Family Physician found that DMTs “have been shown to slow disease progression and disability; options include injectable agents, infusions, and oral medications targeting different sites in the inflammatory pathway.”

Research published in Frontiers in Neurology last year says autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) (also called bone marrow transplantation, with autologous meaning a patient’s own cells) used for multiple sclerosis therapy helps “reset the immune system.” Several studies and clinical trials using AHSCT have shown promise.

WATCH: SurvivorNetTV Presents: Defying All Odds – A World-Renowned Doctor’s Incredible Journey Through MS

“In a meta-analysis of published studies using AHSCT for M.S. treatment, the pooled estimated transplant-related mortality was 2.1%, the two-year disease progression rate was 17.1%, the five-year progression rate of 23.3%, and a pooled 83% of patients had no evidence of disease activity at two years. Patients who had the most benefit and the least mortality rate were patients with relapsing-remitting M.S. (RRMS).”

Additional research published by NEJM Journal Watch says that AHSCT helps MS patients reduce relapses better than other forms of MS treatment.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society outlines 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 M.S. is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
• Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common M.S. among the million people battling the disease in the U.S., 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 M.S. (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 M.S. (SPMS): This is an almost transitional form of M.S. that progresses from RRMS to PPMS.

Finding Resources And Support

For patients and families navigating MS or another serious illness like a cancer diagnosis, gaining access to new treatment or trials can feel overwhelming. That’s why SurvivorNet encourages patients to use its proprietary Clinical Trial Finder, a free tool designed to help patients identify relevant trials quickly and easily.

Every year, new early-phase studies come online, each one representing another step forward in disease management.

SurvivorNet’s AI-powered “My Health Questions” tool was also built with patient needs in mind, to give patients and their caregivers access to health information vetted by professionals right when they need it.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you are diagnosed with MS or are 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 do you recommend to manage my symptoms?
• 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?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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