For Actress Christina Applegate, Prayers For a Better 2024– Her Journey and How She’s Persevered

Since 2021, Applegate has battled multiple sclerosis (MS), which makes the honor much more meaningful. The incurable disease has already impacted her life on and off camera, so if she manages to snag an Emmy, that will make for a remarkable milestone.

The disease impacts the central nervous system and can cause numbness or tingling in your limbs. The diagnosis came more than a decade after she dealt with a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008.

“With the disease of MS, it’s never a good day,” Applegate previously wrote in her Instagram post.

“Having MS f—ing sucks…You just have little s—– days,” she said.

She explained how her symptoms are impacting her daily life.

“With the disease of MS, it’s never a good day,” Applegate explained to Vanity Fair.

She said everyday activities like taking showers, using stairs, and carrying things are all challenging. 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,” she said.

Amid her ongoing struggles, an Emmy nomination for her latest project could be just the pick-me-up Applegate needs to remain upbeat.

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 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 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.

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?

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