Published Jan 9, 2020

‘What I Would Give to Be Able to Play Like This Again’ — a Wistful Selma Blair and the Challenges in Embracing a New Normal

Cancer survivors know what it means to look forward and not back.

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For cancer survivors, life can change in unexpected ways. Whether it’s adjusting to hair loss during chemotherapy, accepting one’s body after a mastectomy, or coping with newfound physical limitations, part of the healing process means accepting and embracing change.

But it’s not always easy, as “Legally Blonde” actor Selma Blair well knows. While Blair, who has undergone chemotherapy for her multiple-sclerosis, has been handling her disease and the side effects of her chemo treatment with an inspiring grace, she at times misses the person she was.

“What I would give to be able to play like this again. Seems so far away,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday.

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What I would give to be able to play like this again. #tbt #free. Seems so far away
A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jan 9, 2020 at 9:35am PST

Thoughts such as these are inevitable — even for someone as uplifting as Blair, who has openly shared with supporters her lovely home life and her great love for her son.

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I'm happily wrecked. But not shipwrecked. Sun and motion are off putting to put it mildly, but Arthur is in his element and he even gifted me with one of his freshly caught opelu for my lunch. He also caught a trumpet fish. Slimy and exotic. And set free. A good day on the boat. ???? @whipsawsportfishing ????necklace thank you @poosh ???? #jennifermeyerjewelry
A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jan 3, 2020 at 1:49pm PST

When the actor lost her hair after chemo, she was equally transparent in her decision to embrace the patchy, grey hair that grew back, sharing the news on Instagram.

"I will leave it short and grey, something I have never before wanted to do,” she wrote.

Vivian Ruszkiewicz, a nurse practitioner with OhioHealth, on chemo and hair loss.

Why Did Blair Undergo Chemo If She Doesn't Have Cancer?

Blair has been receiving chemotherapy as part of a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks the body's central nervous system. The MS treatment, called "Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation," or "HSCT," involves 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. The treatment has U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for MS, and according to the National MS Society, "Publication of the outcomes from well-controlled clinical studies of HSCT therapy will encourage greater acceptance and use by the medical community."

Embracing the Now

Many members of the SurvivorNet community have shared the challenges they face in their own lives. Lauren Chiarello was just 23 years old when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. After her treatment, she told us, she learned to embrace the idea of a new normal.

Living in the Moment: What Survivor Lauren Chiarello Learned During Her Cancer Journey

Chiarello said she began searching for her "new stride," which in her case meant taking up running and competing in marathons. She said it’s still a work in progress but that she appreciates every day as it comes. "

I had to keep reminding myself that there's only today, and that's all you have," Lauren said. "I really had to fight to stay in the present moment."

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Constance Costas is a writer for SurvivorNet.

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