Before I saw actress Selma Blair being interviewed on ABC’s “Good Morning
America,” I honestly had just a cursory knowledge of multiple sclerosis. No
friends or relatives I knew were living with the condition, so I didn’t
have an intimate understanding of the disease, its prognosis or how it
affects daily life. I knew nothing about spasmodic dysphonia (a
neurological disorder affecting the larynx voice muscles) or MS
exacerbation (occurrence of new symptoms or worsening of old ones). But I
was amazed at Blair’s courage for sharing her story, especially in light of
her struggle to speak during the interview. And I wanted to know more.
After the “GMA” interview, I jumped on the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society website (nationalmssociety.org) to learn more about MS. I
discovered that, as an incurable disease, MS is a central nervous system
disease, meaning it affects the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. It can
cause chronic problems with muscle control, balance and vision, with
symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Common symptoms can include fatigue,
numbness, weakness, spasticity and vertigo, while less common symptoms can
mean seizures, tremors and problems speaking, swallowing, breathing and
hearing. These varying degrees of symptoms can make it extremely difficult
to do everyday tasks, from buttoning a shirt and walking upstairs to
driving a car and cooking dinner. My self-education was an eye-opening
journey into MS. And I thank Blair for that.
Diagnosed in 2018, Blair has been speaking out about her health struggles
after making an emotional return to the red carpet (with a
diamond-bedazzled cane) at the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party. She had been
unknowingly dealing with MS flare-ups since giving birth to her son Arthur
in 2011. For years, she suffered from debilitating symptoms and sought
medical help, but doctors couldn’t seem to pinpoint what she was dealing
with. Part of the problem, she says, was they didn’t take her or her
symptoms seriously. But finally, she received an MS diagnosis in August
2018.
In her “GMA” interview, Blair told Robin Roberts, “I had tears. They
weren’t tears of panic. They were tears of knowing I now had to give in to
a body that had loss of control, and there was some relief in that.” She
was also happy to let others see “what being in the middle of an aggressive
form of multiple sclerosis is like.” Blair not only put a face to the
disease, she put her whole MS life up for public scrutiny.
In recent months, the 46-year-old actress has given a series of media
interviews to discuss what it’s like living with this disability. She
admitted to being so tired that she had to pull over on the side of the
road to take a nap after dropping off her son at school just a mile from
her house. She told how, prior to her diagnosis, she reached out to fellow
actor Michael J. Fox to discuss her symptoms. (Fox revealed back in 1998
that he had Parkinson’s Disease.) And she talked about the immense
gratitude she felt for her family, friends and co-workers “keeping her
secret” until she was ready to publicly share her private battle with MS.
Initially, the “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions” star revealed her
diagnosis to her 1.3 million Instagram followers. She wrote how her
costumer not only designs her TV show character’s wardrobe, 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.” And with that social media post, she put MS in
the spotlight.
In her post, Blair pointed to the challenges of living with MS, noting, “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.” And she wrote about
her desire to be able to, once again, do the simple things in life, like
play with her son, walk down the street and ride her horse. But Blair also
put hope into the picture. “I am in the thick of it but I hope to give some
hope to others. And even to myself,” she wrote. “I have MS and I am ok.”
By being so honest and open and vulnerable with her disability, Blair has
helped thrust MS into the spotlight, sparking conversations and increasing
awareness along the way. Her courageous act of sharing may help others seek
diagnosis for their similar-but-unexplained symptoms. She might inspire
others to donate to charities such as the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society to help fund cutting-edge research. And she may have helped
eliminate the stigma associated with having MS – or any disability. Her
public fight against her MS is already triumphant. Boom. (mic drop)
Originally published on
AmeriDisability.com
. Reprinted here with their permission.
