Living With MS: Christina Applegate Focuses on 'Getting Stronger'
- Actress Christina Applegate recently missed the 30th Anniversary Race to Erase MS Gala as she’s working on her strength, fellow actor David Faustino revealed.
- MS is a serious disease of the brain and central nervous system that can lead to permanent disability, and it's something Christina Applegate, has been dealing with since 2021.
- Common symptoms of MS include numbness/weakness in the limbs, fatigue, lack of coordination, unsteady gait (or trouble walking), blurry vision, and more.
- There is no cure for MS, but there are options available to help manage symptoms.
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He explained, “I think she just wants to get a little stronger. I’m thinking she’ll be here next year. She was on the fence, but she just said, ‘I’m just not feeling up to it right now.'”
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However, just days after the MS charity gathering, Applegate was spotted at Variety’s TV FYC Fest, where she received the TV Fest Legacy Award.
Applegate was given the award by 71-year-old actress Jean Smart, who starred alongside her in the sitcom “Samantha Who?”
When she was offered the award, Applegate joked, “Unfortunately it will be dropped by the little cripple. It's ok, you can laugh, I'm allowed to say that,” Variety reports.
"I don't know if I can, I'd love to, I do miss it." Christina Applegate reflects on whether she'll continue to act as she accepts the TV Fest Legacy Award at #VarietyTVFYCFest. pic.twitter.com/gmICq93IPo
— Variety (@Variety) June 7, 2023
“Thank you so much for being so supportive. I don't know if I can continue to act. I miss it so much,” Applegate said after receiving the award. “But I'm so happy I ended with a show like ‘Dead To Me.'”
She emotionally added, “In coming out of the words of Judy in the last episode, ‘I've had a lot of fun.’ So thank you.”
Applegate's Hollywood career dates back to the 1970s, and one of her biggest successes includes her role in “Married… With Children,” which launched in 1987 and lasted until 1997.
There have been whispers that the show could possibly get a reboot. If it is created, it is expected to be an animated series. Applegate said she and fellow co-stars Ed O'Neill, Katey Sagal, and Faustino are attached to the project.
However, she "can't really say much" beyond that, she told Vanity Fair.
Christina Applegate’s MS Journey
Multiple sclerosis is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. The disease 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 send messages to arms, legs, and other parts of the body to function normally.
Applegate began experiencing symptoms of the condition 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?”
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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.'”
Applegate wasn't able to work as hard or as long or in the heat 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."
MS Treatment
There is no cure for MS, but MS warriors battling the disease do have methods to manage their symptoms.
Chemotherapy is an option that can help manage symptoms because chemo drugs can kill cells that break down the nervous system, slowing down or stopping the disease. It's a method Applegate’s friend and actress Selma Blair used on her own MS journey.
Watch 'Don't Stop Me Now,’ an inspiration for anybody with MS, on SurvivorNetTV
Blair also had a stem cell transplant to help manage her symptoms.
A stem cell transplant also called a "bone marrow transplant" is a treatment used for some cancers and diseases, and it replaces bone marrow with healthy cells.
A side effect of stem cell transplant is that it wipes out the immune system, meaning the patient is more vulnerable to infections, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
As a result, this kind of treatment requires staying away from people and avoiding certain foods that could make you sick.
Many MS warriors use items like wheelchairs, canes, leg braces and other tools to get around.
Caring for Your Mental & Physical Health
Living in gratitude and feeling understood is vitally important, especially while going through a health challenge like a chronic disease.
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It takes focus to pay attention to the positives over the negatives, however, the rewards can be a major payoff in time, in the form of good mental health.
If you're able to train your mind to stay grateful and positive something that can be done with the help of therapy, if needed you'll find that it can benefit your overall health journey. Not only can it help you to feel better mentally, but experts have found that having a positive attitude may improve prognosis in some instances.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, previously spoke with SurvivorNet on the importance of gratitude.
He explained, "A positive attitude is really important…My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from … about a month after they're diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK."
Dr. Zuri Murrell shares his experience with the power of positivity.
“Now, that doesn't mean I'm good at saying that the cancer won't grow," Dr. Murrell continued. “But I'm pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease.”
Dr. Murrell said, in his experience, his patients who exhibit gratitude have an easier time getting through tough times and oftentimes have better outcomes.
Find the Right Option For Your Mental Health
Whether it be a loss of a loved one, or a change in life brought on by a cancer diagnosis, “grief comes in waves,” Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist and Director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.
Dr. Scott Irwin breaks down dealing with grief related to health problems.
"They're grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different," he said. Some days can be tougher than others, but Dr. Irwin explained that talking through grief can be incredibly helpful. Those struggling should consider reaching out to a doctor, a therapist, or community support groups.
Treatment options for people struggling with mental health really run the gamut. While some people may benefit from seeking the help of a psychologist and getting on medication, others see great improvement by simply implementing lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing exercise and/or cutting back on alcohol.
Those struggling should know that they are not alone about one in five American adults has experienced some sort of mental health issue, according to mentalhealth.gov. However, what worked to help someone else cope may not necessarily help you as treatment must be individualized.
To maintain a positive mindset and address mental health struggles you may be having, treatment may include:
- Seeking professional help from a psychiatrist or therapist
- Learning healthy coping skills
- Medication such as antidepressants
- Adding more physical activity to your routine
- Adjusting your sleep schedule
- Connecting with others via support groups
- Mindfulness and meditation
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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