M La vitalité
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FIGHT MS T B Y J O R D A N S TA G G S
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he unknowns we encounter throughout life can be scary. For those living with multiple sclerosis (MS), the unknowns that linger on the periphery of their diagnoses, treatment, and future might become a constant source of anxiety. So much is still unpredictable about this condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack the myelin, a layer of insulating cells around nerve endings. It causes nerves to become exposed, creates lesions in the brain and spinal cord, and creates a disruption in communication between the nerves and the brain. Its harrowing side effects include numbness, fatigue, vision problems, and difficulty with motor functions, including walking. Though the cause is still a mystery, studies by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society show that MS occurs at least twice as often in women as in men. It also appears to be more prevalent in countries farther 106 | DECE MBER 2019
from the equator. Treatment plans range from oral medications to injectable medicines and intravenous infusions (chemotherapy) to treat symptoms and alter the disease’s progression. Unfortunately, no cure is yet known. In 2019, two celebrity women stepped to the forefront of raising awareness and funds for research, treatment, and finding the cure for MS.
Actress Selma Blair—best known for her roles in Brown’s Requiem, Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, and more—spoke out about her diagnosis with MS in October of 2018. In a heartfelt post on Instagram, which began as a thank-you to her costume designer on the Netflix series Another Life, she wrote, “I have multiple sclerosis. I am in an exacerbation. By the grace of the Lord and willpower 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.” She continued, “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.”
