Inspiring People with MS
- Actress Selma Blair, 51, has landed overseas for Paris Fashion Week and has been posting silly and sassy videos of herself beaming in the City of Lights. The fashionista, a disability rights advocate, has been vocal about her ups and downs since her 2018 multiple sclerosis diagnosis and appears more vibrant than ever.
- Blair’s followers, many who have the same debilitating condition in common, shared words of support and declared her an inspiration for sparking hope to go on some of their own travels.
- 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.
- Currently, there is no cure for MS, although some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs. Often difficult to diagnose, it is important to relay any lingering neurological symptoms to your doctor, and it might be helpful to keep a daily journal of anything your are experiencing to help expedite a potential diagnosis.
Actress Selma Blair, 51, has landed overseas for Paris Fashion Week and the City of Lights undoubtedly looks good on her. The fashionista, who has been vocal about her ups and downs since her 2018 multiple sclerosis diagnosis, appears to be thriving more than ever as she displays her silly and sassy personality to fans on social media.
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Blair’s followers, many who have the same debilitating condition in common, shared words of support and declared her an inspiration for sparking hope to go on some of their own travels.
“It’s truly a joy to see how far you’ve come. Your progress is inspiring, and I couldn’t be more proud of you. Have a fantastic day and savor every moment!”
The Michigan-born star, who has a son Arthur, 12, followed up her post with a comedic reel on Thursday, showing the difference between a French “fille,” or girl, and an American while sitting at a café.
“Je l’adore ici. Oui oui,” Blair wrote, which means, “I love it here, yes yes.”
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In the clip, for her French girl version, Blair displayed a semi-expressionless sultry stare while sitting perfectly poised at a small round table, delicately sipping on her drink after casually putting her sunglasses on.
Cut to the “American” girl, and she is throwing her head back dramatically while tapping every last drop out of her coffee cup, highly animated and laughing, hilariously portraying someone a bit more obnoxious.
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer dropped by her comments with some crying laughing emojis while a French follower joked, “Where is La Cigarette?” since the French are quite known for their smoking habit.
Back in the States, Blair has been slaying it on back-to-back red carpets, noticeably appearing at the latest few outings without her cane, and looking absolutely fabulous.
On June 6, she posted a video of herself — partnered with InStyle magazine — attending New York City’s famed Tribeca Film Festival. “I’m a Midwest girl. The novelty of a red carpet still hasn’t worn off on me,” she wrote, with many followers again asking what she is doing to keep herself looking so healthy and vibrant.
Selma Blair’s MS Journey
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, the Cruel Intentions star 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.”
‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ Can Help Inspire Anyone with Multiple Sclerosis
Blair continued, “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. She underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which involves taking stem cells from the bone marrow or blood, wiping the immune system clean with intense chemotherapy, then reintroducing the cells to grow a new immune system.
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 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.
Managing MS
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.
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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.
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 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to help treat my MS?
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