Another Tough Diagnosis
- Dead To Me actress and breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate, 49, took to Twitter today to announce she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
- Multiple sclerosis is an auto-immune disease that causes nerve damage.
- Symptoms of multiple sclerosis vary greatly from person to person; Some common symptoms to look out for include blurred or double vision, slurred speech, and numbness and weakness in your limbs.
This isn’t the first time that the Emmy Award-winner has received a shocking diagnosis, as she is also a breast cancer survivor. However, according to scientific research, there is no known link between the two diseases.
Read MoreHi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It's been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it.
christina applegate (@1capplegate) August 10, 2021
Applegate followed up with a second tweet asking for privacy as she navigates this new health chapter.
“As one of my friends that has MS said ‘we wake up and take the indicated action.’ And that's what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo.”
Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
Although we don’t which symptoms led to Applegate’s diagnosis, and symptoms tend to vary greatly from person to person, these are some more common signs to look out for, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs that typically occurs on one side of your body at a time, or your legs and trunk
- Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward (Lhermitte sign)
Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait - Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement
- Prolonged double vision
- Blurry vision
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Tingling or pain in parts of your body
- Problems with sexual, bowel and bladder function
Applegate did not have to have to undergo chemotherapy for her breast cancer battle, but it is sometimes part of the treatment for MS, as actress Selma Blair learned. Most people think that chemo is only for people with cancer but the Cruel Intentions star told reporters at the Time Health Summit in October 2019 that she underwent "aggressive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to help alleviate some of the pain and ailments from her diagnosis.”
Related: Why Is Actress Selma Blair Getting Chemotherapy For Multiple Sclerosis?
How the disease works is there are often “periods of new symptoms or relapses that develop over days or weeks and usually improve partially or completely.” There are periods of months or even years that the disease can remain quiet and in remission.
Related: Actress Selma Blair, 48, Recalls Her Terrifying Early MS Symptoms: ‘My Leg Was Numb’
Around half of patients will have symptoms steadily increase within 10 or 20 years from diagnosis, which is secondary-progressive MS, and that rate varies greatly between patients.
Applegate’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 after docs found something "funky" in her left breast, and she had a double mastectomy. Applegate revealed to Today.com in 2017 that she also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to take extra caution, due to her higher risk with ovarian cancer in her family. Applegate changed her lifestyle habits and advocates for more rest and less stress to stay healthy.
The Los Angeles native, who is married to musician Martin LeNoble, 52, whom she shares a daughter with, Sadie Grace LeNoble, age 10, shared some thoughtful advice on how she keeps her daughter's future health in mind. "The chances that my daughter is BRCA positive are very high," she has said. "I look at her and feed her the cleanest foods. I try to keep her stress levels down. I'm doing everything I can on my end knowing that in 20 years, she'll have to start getting tested. Hopefully by then there will be advancements. It breaks my heart to think that's a possibility."
With multiple sclerosis, family history is also a risk, so it is something to keep in mind if a parent or immediate family member has been diagnosed with the disease. As with cancer or any other illness, mindset is highly important for navigating through a fresh diagnosis and combatting symptoms.
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