Christina Applegate once shared the subtle signs she encountered before being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The actress known for her role in Anchorman first disclosed her MS diagnosis in August 2021, mentioning she had been diagnosed earlier that year.
After revealing her condition, Applegate returned to play Jen Harding in the third and final season of the Netflix dark comedy series Dead To Me. During this time, she had to modify her work schedule and seek different ways to aid her mobility on set.
Applegate has since spoken openly about MS, a condition that can significantly impact the brain and spinal cord.
The symptoms may include difficulties with vision, movement in the arms or legs, sensation or balance, muscle stiffness, numbness, and challenges with cognitive functions like thinking, learning, and planning.
Women are generally more likely to be diagnosed with MS than men, with most diagnoses occurring between ages 20 and 40.
Reflecting on her journey with MS last year, Applegate shared that she initially overlooked some minor symptoms, attributing them to fatigue. She shared her experience:
“My symptoms had started in the early part of 2021, and it was, like, literally just tingling on my toes,” she mentioned on Good Morning America.
“And by the time we started shooting in the summer of that same year, I was being brought to set in a wheelchair. Like, I couldn’t walk that far.”
The actress recounted how the condition led to her legs giving way, leading her to suspect she had the disease years before her official diagnosis.
“I really just kind of put it off as being tired, or I’m dehydrated, or it’s the weather. And then nothing would happen for, like, months, and I didn’t pay attention,” she explained.
Applegate further described how she endures ‘excruciating pain’ daily but has reached a point of acclimatization.
“Right now, I’m isolating. That’s kind of how I’m dealing with it, is by, like, not going anywhere, because I don’t want to do it. It’s hard,” she noted.
This follows Applegate’s heartfelt moment at the Emmys last January when she received a standing ovation while presenting an award. As she approached the stage in Los Angeles, the entire audience stood in support, visibly touching Applegate.
“Thank you so much! Oh my God! You’re totally shaming me [and my] disability by standing up,” she remarked.