Christina Applegate says she “wasn’t happy at all” to learn she doesn’t have multiple sclerosis (MS), as she struggles with a mysterious illness that’s robbing her of her mobility.
Christina Applegate, 54, has spent much of her life in the spotlight, winning fans through roles in Married…with Children and Dead to Me.
But in 2021, the award-winning actor’s life took a devastating turn when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological condition that left her struggling with debilitating symptoms and increasingly limited mobility.
‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS’
In early October, Applegate revealed that a doctor had delivered unexpected news that left her struggling to understand what was happening to her body.
“She came into my room and said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS’,” Applegate recalled during an Oct. 20 episode of her MeSsy podcast, which she co-hosts with fellow actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, the 45-year-old Soprano star who was diagnosed with MS when she was 20.
Rather than feeling relieved, Applegate admitted she was devastated by the uncertainty surrounding her health.
“I was, like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy,” Applegate said.
“You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of a sudden I’m better. I haven’t gotten better. If anything, I’ve gotten worse. So, I’m back at square one where I don’t know what’s going on with me,” the Anchorman star shared.
‘Things are getting worse’
Her fears have only deepened as new symptoms make even getting out of bed an ordeal, leaving her increasingly dependent on assistance to move around.
“I actually timed it today. It took me 10 minutes to be able to move off my pillow and get out of the bed and stand up, at which point I almost couldn’t walk to the bathroom and now a walker is sitting next to my bed because of what’s going on,” she revealed during the Oct. 27 episode of MeSsy.
“Things are getting worse, or they’re just new, something new is happening,” she vented.
‘Don’t have one single test for MS’
Her experience has raised questions about how MS is diagnosed. Neurologist Dr. Marwa Kaisey of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center explained that approximately 20% of people diagnosed with MS may not actually have the condition, partly because its symptoms can resemble those of other illnesses.
“We don’t have one single test for MS,” Marwa listeners on the Oct. 20 episode. “It’s not like we have something like a pregnancy test that says yes you have it, no you don’t.”
Yet even as Applegate searches for answers about her own health, she has no intention of distancing herself from the MS community or abandoning the podcast she shares with Sigler.
“You guys are my people,” she told listeners.
“I’m still your warrior and I’m still going to speak out on your behalf forever and ever,” Applegate promised. “I still feel like part of this community and no matter what, I love you. I love you, that’s all.”
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