Selma Blair's MS Battle
- Actress Selma Blair, 51, is living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and took to the red carpet at the 2024 Fashion Trust Awards this week without her cane, which has impressed fans as she’s been using a cane support herself through the disease, which was diagnosed with in 2018.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a serious disease of the brain and central nervous system that can lead to permanent disability. There is no cure for MS, but MS warriors battling the disease do have methods to manage their symptoms.
- Blair turned to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) (also called bone marrow transplantation) to help treat her MS. This form of therapy helps “reset the immune system.”
- Research published in Frontiers in Neurology in 2022 cited several studies and clinical trials showing promise in helping MS patients manage their condition. One study found that “83% of patients” who underwent a bone marrow transplant were left with “no evidence of disease” within just two years.
It was certainly an admirable sight as Blair, known for her roles in “Cruel Intentions” and “Legally Blonde,” has been using her cane to support herself through MS, something she was diagnosed with in 2018 and has been in remission from since 2021.
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What’s even more spectacular is that Blair was not only without a cane, but she was also wearing black strappy heels. The mom of one was also seen holding a gold clutch bag and wearing chunky accessories.
Blair was certainly exuding confidence as she posed for the photo, with her short blonde, half of it slicked back.
In another photo, shared in the post, Blair is seen laughing alongside the emerging fashion designers at the event, which was held by Fashion Trust U.S. a non-profit organization supporting the next generation of US-based designers.
“The FASHION TRUST U.S. is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to discovering, funding, and nurturing young design talent with the aim of helping them build their label into a thriving global brand,” the trust states on their official website.
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Fans praised Blair for her strength and beauty, with one writing, “She is Back…..looking Young as ever and so Stylishly Dressed!!!! Such a Beauty!!!!”
Another commented, “You look absolutely gorgeous and I see no cane! That’s awesome!”
Other fans wrote, “You inspire me everyday though my journey with MS,” and “You look beautiful!! Love, a fellow MS’er.”
It’s certainly admirable to see Blair strutting her stuff and standing tall at an event, something many multiple sclerosis warriors can look up to.
Her recent appearance comes about one year after Blair spoke with British Vogue about how her doctors missed her condition for several decades prior to her official diagnosis in August 2018.
Blair, who has since become a “disability advocate” and enjoys raising awareness for MS, showed off her cane during her 2023 Vogue photoshoot, and even spoke on how she now depends on it as her mobility aid.
She explained, “I have an emotional and physical attachment to the cane. I settle in my voice and body as soon as I hold [it]. It’s an extension of me. And I know it adds to visibility. So many younger people have started publicly embracing their sticks more. I do think representation matters.
“If I can help remove stigma or over-curiosity in a crowd for someone else, then that’s great.”
Selma’s Battle with MS
Blair was diagnosed with MS in 2018. This disease causes the immune system to eat away at the protective covering of the body’s nerves. MS disrupts communication between the brain and the body.
Following her diagnosis, Blair took to Instagram to share the news with fans and followers. In a 2018 post discussing her illness, she wrote candidly: “I have multiple sclerosis. I am in an exacerbation. I am disabled.”
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She wrote to fans, “I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps. But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best. Since my diagnosis at ten thirty pm on The night of August 16, I have had love and support from my friends.”
Blair has used chemotherapy, a common treatment for cancer, to treat her MS.
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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.
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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, 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.
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.
MS Treatment
There is no cure for MS, however, those battling the disease do have methods to manage their symptoms.
Common tools MS patients use to improve quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).
A study in American Family Physician found DMTs “has been shown to slow disease progression and disability; options include injectable agents, infusions, and oral medications targeting different sites in the inflammatory pathway.”
DMTs help stave off attacks of the disease and prevent relapses, which are triggered when the central nervous system becomes inflamed.
The drug mitoxantrone, which has been used as a DMT, is currently the only chemotherapeutic agent approved for treatment of MS in the United States. An injection is usually given once every three months for about two to three years. The drug only helps control the disease and does not cure it.
While chemotherapy is widely known as a cancer treatment, it is also effective at slowing down or stopping disease activity in MS.
Blair underwent chemotherapy as part of her treatment for MS. She shared a photo on her Instagram post-chemotherapy of her hair regrowth after losing it during treatment, a common side effect of chemotherapy.
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“A large amount of our chemotherapies do cause hair loss, not all of them,” Vivian Rusziewicz, a Nurse Practitioner for Ohio Health told SurvivorNet.
“Generally, in terms of hair loss, it would begin about three weeks, three to four weeks, after your first chemotherapy treatment. Generally people will start to see some regrowth about four to six weeks after your last treatment. As long as you aren’t being treated with another medication that might cause hair loss,” Rusziewicz added.
Blair’s HSCT treatment involved taking stem cells from the bone marrow or blood, wiping the immune system clean with chemotherapy, then reintroducing the cells to grow a new immune system.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are facing a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, you may be interested in learning more about treatment options to help you best manage your symptoms. Below are some questions to help kickstart a conversation with your doctor for solutions.
- What forms of treatment do you believe would be most effective based on my MS symptoms?
- Are there any side effects I should expect if I started the recommended treatment?
- How likely am I to be eligible for HSCT chemotherapy to help treat my MS?
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.