‘Sopranos’ Star Jamie Lynn Sigler, 44, on Shame, Strength, and the Power of Letting People In: A Decade of Living With Multiple Sclerosis

“The emotional turning point for me that made me feel ready to share my story was the emotional and physical toll it was taking on my body to hold that secret,” Sigler, a mother of two, shared with SurvivorNet.

Carrying the diagnosis alone became heavier than the disease itself. Although Sigler publicly shared her diagnosis a decade ago, she had been living with the condition since 2002.

“The labels I was placing on myself that we can often do when we carry secrets like shame. I had no reason to feel shame about living with MS and what it was doing to my body.”

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disorder of the brain and central nervous system that can lead to symptoms such as numbness or tingling in the limbs, fatigue, coordination challenges, blurry vision, and difficulty walking.

While there is no cure, many people with MS find support through mobility aids like wheelchairs, canes, and leg braces, as well as disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that can help improve quality of life.

When Sigler finally opened up about her diagnosis, she expected relief, but she didn’t expect how many others were hiding a similar truth.

“Coming forward and telling people, this is what I was living with, was freeing and liberating, but what surprised me most from people living with it is that they were also keeping it a secret,” she says.

“Some were fearful of being fired from their jobs or feared being labeled by people around them.”

Sigler now believes connection is essential to survival.

“As human beings, we’re not meant to go through life alone, especially when we’re given a chronic illness. So, even if it’s just a handful of select people in your life… You need to communicate; there are support groups out there.”

Learning to Ask for Help

Sigler admits that asking for help was one of her biggest hurdles and one of her greatest lessons learned.

“I find that people in general, especially women, have a hard time asking for help,” she says.

“For me, asking for help, I thought, would reveal I was weak, incapable, and less than, and none of that was true, and the only way I was able to learn that was to start asking for help.”

“By letting people in, I learned my strength, power, and what I bring to the table. We all have strengths and weaknesses, but we all support each other; that’s the village. I’m unashamed to ask for help at any moment that I need it.”

“MS Didn’t Define Me”

“MS didn’t define me, and when [people around me] looked at me, they didn’t see MS,” Sigler explained. She added that they saw a great friend, a great mom.

“It took time for me to finally believe what they’re saying.”

MS also crept into Sigler’s perception of her as a mom, at least early on.

 

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“Being a mom is the one area I’ve felt the most insecure about my MS because I’ve been insecure about the physical limitations that would take away my value to my children as a mom,” she says.

However, over time, she learned that love, not physical ability, is what means most.

“Do not let a diagnosis define you. I know my kids feel loved, cared for, and supported, and hopefully that’s enough.”

Finding Strength in Others, Including Fellow ‘Sopranos’ Star Edie Falco

Sigler also found inspiration in her “Sopranos” co‑star Edie Falco, who quietly battled breast cancer during the show’s run.

Falco was in the middle of filming season three of “The Sopranos” in 2003 when she received her diagnosis.

Falco told the Television Academy Foundation that she underwent treatment for about eight months. She underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancer along with surrounding abnormal tissue, then sought a second opinion to determine the best next steps, which turned out to be chemotherapy and radiation.

“Even though Edie Falco didn’t know I was suffering from MS at the time… she was an example of pure class, professionalism, and grace,” Sigler says.

“She accepted what happened and fought it as hard as she could, but she didn’t let it take away from her true joy, which was acting on the show. I try to be like her all the time.”

Falco later became one of the first people to read Sigler’s book.

“She read it in one night and called me and said she wished she could hug me and wanted me to know I wasn’t alone,” Sigler recalls.

Falco told her she might have been given this diagnosis because she has “an ability to communicate struggle, pain, and transmute it into a learning experience,” a gift that has helped Sigler live “in more gratitude.”

Advice for Anyone Newly Diagnosed

Sigler knows the fear that comes with a new diagnosis, and she speaks directly to those standing where she once stood.

“If you’re newly diagnosed and you’re scared and feel alone, I see you. I get it. That is a very real thing to feel,” she says.

“It’s important to allow space for those emotions to fly through you because they’re imperative to your healing.”

The healing begins both inside and outside the hospital setting. Navigating treatment can feel overwhelming, Sigler admits.

“Really mapping out what your needs are and how this will fit into my life. What specifically do I need? The questions to ask after a diagnosis to your care team.”

Sigler also highlights the power of acceptance.

“Acceptance doesn’t mean you have to like the situation you’re in, but the only way to move forward is through acceptance. There are online support groups, podcasts like mine, and there are so many resources out there for people to find the community that they need.”

Sigler regularly opens up about the realities of living with MS on her “So Messy” podcast, which she co-hosts with fellow actress Christina Applegate, who also lives with multiple sclerosis.

Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack the cells that form the protective sheath covering 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 with the body’s arms, legs, and other parts, preventing them from functioning normally.

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

There is no cure for M.S., but M.S. warriors battling the disease do have methods to manage their symptoms.

Common tools M.S. patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and 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.

“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.

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?

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