Actor Selma Blair Says She Has Multiple Sclerosis. What is MS?

What is Multiple Sclerosis? Actor Selma Blair’s post helps spread awareness.

In an Instagram post, Hollywood actor Selma Blair, of Cruel Intentions fame, has revealed that she suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a life long condition that can often be disabling.

She wrote in her Instagram post, “I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken GPS.”

View this post on Instagram

I was in this wardrobe fitting two days ago. And I am in the deepest gratitude. So profound, it is, I have decided to share. The brilliant costumer #Allisaswanson not only designs the pieces #harperglass will wear on this new #Netflix show , but she carefully gets my legs in my pants, pulls my tops over my head, buttons my coats and offers her shoulder to steady myself. I have #multiplesclerosis . I am in an exacerbation. By the grace of the lord, and will power and the understanding producers at Netflix , I have a job. A wonderful job. I am disabled. 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 , especially @jaime_king @sarahmgellar @realfreddieprinze @tarasubkoff @noah.d.newman . My producers #noreenhalpern who assured me that everyone has something. #chrisregina #aaronmartin and every crew member... thank you. I am in the thick of it but I hope to give some hope to others. And even to myself. You can’t get help unless you ask. It can be overwhelming in the beginning. You want to sleep. You always want to sleep. So I don’t have answers. You see, I want to sleep. But I am a forthcoming person and I want my life to be full somehow. I want to play with my son again. I want to walk down the street and ride my horse. I have MS and I am ok. But if you see me , dropping crap all over the street, feel free to help me pick it up. It takes a whole day for me alone. Thank you and may we all know good days amongst the challenges. And the biggest thanks to @elizberkley who forced me to see her brother #drjasonberkley who gave me this diagnosis after finding lesions on that mri. I have had symptoms for years but was never taken seriously until I fell down in front of him trying to sort out what I thought was a pinched nerve. I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least. And I am relieved to at least know. And share. 🖤 my instagram family... you know who you are.

A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Oct 20, 2018 at 11:23am PDT

Multiple Sclerosis diagnoses can be devastating. It is a disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain and spinal cord. According to Mayo Clinic, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.

Symptoms take a while to establish and may vary depending upon the extant of damage to the nerves.

Symptoms

Selma writes about dropping things, wanting to sleep all the time, lack of coordination, all symptoms associated with MS, according to Mayo Clinic.

• Numbness or weakness of the limbs, affecting one side of the body.
• Loss of vision, starting with one eye
• Tingling or pain in parts of the body
• Tremors
• Slurring
• Fatigue
• Dizziness

While the cause of MS remains unknown, it is an auto immune disease. 70-80 percent people are diagnosed with a form of MS that relapses and remits, broken by disease free period. Degeneration happening over a period of time.

It is 2 to 3 times more likely to occur in women.

According to Multiple Sclerosis Society of India, there are 2 lakh people who suffer from MS in the country.