Christina Applegate, whose original claim to fame is from her role in “Married... With Children,” was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). She is already a breast cancer survivor and had both of her breasts removed in a previous surgery. Her loved ones and fans are rallying to lend her support while she handles this new medical challenge.
MS is a condition caused by a loss of the fatty sheath (myelin) from the neurons in your nervous system. This disrupts the signals that pass from one neuron to the next. It’s considered an autoimmune condition, which means that the patient’s immune system is causing the loss of the myelin sheath.
Applegate joins one million other Americans who also have multiple sclerosis. There are over two million cases worldwide.
At the age of 49, Applegate just fits within the time frame for the average age of diagnosis, as MS is usually diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 to 50 years old. She believes that she may have had the condition for the past fifteen years, but she had a hard time getting diagnosed.
Applegate says that, so far, her journey has been strange. MS is a tricky disease that doesn’t currently have a cure. Fatigue is the most prevalent symptom, seen in at least 80% of patients. Other common symptoms include muscle stiffness and spasms, numbness and tingling, vision problems, and depression. 50% of patients also experience cognitive changes, such as decreased focus and slower information processing.
The actress has reported some of these symptoms already, including a foggy memory, falls, and dropping things. She is taking life one day at a time, though, and is continuing work on her latest show “Dead To Me”.
