Why Selma Blair was ‘thrilled' to receive her MS diagnosis
Selma Blair expressed feeling "thrilled" upon receiving her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2018.
Prior to the diagnosis, she struggled to understand how others functioned normally while she experienced debilitating symptoms, unsure if her issues were psychosomatic.
The diagnosis provided validation and a sense of being "seen," explaining her experiences with relapsing MS, where symptoms can temporarily disappear.
Her doctor initially advised her to keep the diagnosis private, reflecting a past stigma surrounding such disclosures.
She revealed experiencing MS symptoms as early as age seven, but her doctor dismissed them, highlighting the gender disparity in medical treatment.
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Wales Online
15 hours ago
- Wales Online
Chris Hoy's selfless wife kept heartbreaking secret and their kids still don't know
Chris Hoy's selfless wife kept heartbreaking secret and their kids still don't know The Team GB legend announced last year that his condition was terminal with doctors giving him two to four years left to live Sarra was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after her husband received his cancer diagnosis Sir Chris Hoy has opened up on living with terminal cancer and revealed how he and his wife are approaching family life amid their respective health battles. The six-time Olympic champion cyclist was diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and announced last year that his condition was terminal, after a scan found primary cancer in his prostate which had spread to his bones, including his shoulder, pevils, ribs and spine. Tragically, Hoy was given between two and four years left to live by doctors. In a cruel twist, his wife Sarra was then diagnosed with an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis (MS), having had a scan just a week after her husband's cancer diagnosis. The couple have two young children - Callum, 10, and Chloe, seven - and Hoy has spoken previously about how his first thought when Sarra got her diagnosis was how they were going to break the news to them, describing it as an "absolute horror" and "a waking nightmare". However, while the 49-year-old feared the impact that making his diagnosis public would have on his children, he now says that his illness is "not something that really scares them" and his family are currently "in a nice spot". "Touch wood, it doesn't feel as though they've been massively affected by it," he told The Times as he provided an update on his health. "They've always been a bit frustrated with people coming up, wanting a photograph of Daddy. Now they're like, 'Oh, is it because of the cancer?' "I think they understand that cancer is part of our lives. It's not something that really scares them, they don't really talk about it much, it's just there.' While Callum and Chloe know about their father's illness, however, Hoy also revealed he and Sarra have not told them about her MS diagnosis, adding that she "doesn't want the focus". Indeed, Sarra initially kept her illness from her husband as he dealt with his cancer diagnosis. The neurological condition, which affects the brain and spinal cord, is incurable but treatment can make it manageable. 'She doesn't talk about it a massive amount," he said when asked how Sarra's condition had affected daily life. "I think she's just determined to try and not allow it to get its feet under the table. It fluctuates, so she gets good days and bad days. "When the days are difficult, she doesn't ever admit to it, but clearly the thoughts are, 'Is this the start of a decline? Is this how it's going to be from now on?' It's just, it's very difficult, and she's so stoic and strong, and not willing to ask for sympathy.' On not telling their children, Hoy added: 'They know that she's got sore hands sometimes, and I think that's about the extent of it. "If it wasn't for my diagnosis, I think it would be getting a lot more attention, but she likes it that way. She doesn't want the focus, she just wants to crack on.' The Team GB icon has previously paid tribute to his wife as "the epitome of selflessness", having supported him in the wake of his diagnosis despite also dealing with her own heartbreaking health battle. He recalled in his autobiography that she went for a routine MRI just seven days after his cancer diagnosis for doctors to investigate a tingling sensation in her face and tongue and did not mention anything more of it for over a month. 'Then one evening in December, after our kids Callum and Chloe had gone to bed, Sarra looked serious and said she had something to tell me," he wrote. "I realised immediately it was something big as Sarra, always so strong in every situation, was beginning to crumble and struggling to get the words out. 'Do you remember that scan I went for?' she started through tear-filled eyes. 'Well, they think it might be multiple sclerosis'. I immediately broke down, distraught both by the news and the fact she'd received it without me there. 'She went on to explain they had called her and told her over a month before. It was so hard to try to compute that she had absorbed the awfulness of this diagnosis alone, without sharing it with me, in order to protect me. I tried to let the words sink in as my mind was spinning, trying to understand what had been happening to her, all while she had been accompanying me to every one of my own hospital appointments." Article continues below He added: "She is the epitome of selflessness, putting the kids and me before herself and always doing it through love not obligation. The future is a great unknown for us both now." Reflecting on how he felt after being told his cancer was terminal, Hoy added: "Initially you feel you're never going to tell your kids off again. You want them to only remember you as the perfect father who always says yes if they want an ice cream, or yes if they get on the iPad, or whatever. And you realise that that phase is very short. "It feels like the family routine is as it was before, which I think is remarkable, really. That will definitely change, obviously, but I think for now we're just getting on with life, and it just feels like we're in a nice spot.'
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
NHS alert over 'lifelong' issue affecting the brain and spine
Around 150,000 people are living with the condition in the UK, while a further 7,100 are newly diagnosed each year The NHS has highlighted the possible symptoms of an incurable health issue that dramatically impacts the central nervous system. While it can affect anyone at any age, the condition is more common among people between 20 and 50 years old. Posting to X this morning, the health service said: "Today is #WorldMSDay. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a lifelong condition which can affect the brain and spinal cord. There are lots of possible symptoms of MS and everyone with the condition is affected differently." More than 150,000 people are living with MS in the UK, while almost 7,100 are newly diagnosed each year, according to the MS Society 's estimates. The condition arises when the immune system attacks the brain and nerves, though the exact triggers remain largely unknown. Possible symptoms of MS can include: Extreme tiredness/fatigue Memory and concentration issues Sexual problems, including a dry vagina or erection problems Blurred vision, eye pain and other sight issues Needing to pee more frequently or losing control over urination Feeling off balance, dizzy or clumsy Numbness or tingling in different parts of the body Muscle cramps, spasms and stiffness There are three main types of MS, and symptoms can vary significantly from person to person. For instance, the first primary type of MS, 'relapse-remitting', describes fluctuating symptoms with different degrees of severity over time. However, this often gradually develops into 'secondary progressive' MS, where symptoms become constant and also steadily worsen. Meanwhile, 'primary progressive' is a less common type of MS in which a person only experiences worsening symptoms from the onset, rather than having the initial 'relapsing-remitting' stage. READ MORE: Davina McCall says 'horrible' ordeal felt like 'Alzheimer's' after brain surgery If you suspect you have symptoms of MS, it's important to seek GP advice. There is no single tool to diagnose the condition, but a medical professional may conduct MRI scans, blood tests, and take spinal fluid samples to better understand your problem. NHS guidance explains: "There is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS). But there are treatments that can slow the progression of MS and help ease symptoms. "The type of treatment will depend on the type of MS you have and your symptoms. You'll probably need different treatments over time. You'll be supported by different healthcare professionals. "This may include a specialist MS nurse, a neurologist (brain and nerve specialist), physiotherapist and occupational therapist." Despite this advice, anyone who suddenly experiences balance issues, weakness or numbness in one arm, or blurred vision is urged to call 999. These may be signs of a stroke - a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Feel wiped out in the summer months? It could be hidden sign of a deadly paralysing disease that's on the rise, top GP warns
Do you feel exhausted when it is hot outside? It could be an early sign of the debilitating neurological disease multiple sclerosis, an NHS GP has warned. According to Dr Asif Ahmed, if you have fatigue that gets far worse in hot weather, it could be a sign of the progressive disease. In a clip posted to TikTok that's so far had nearly 70,000 views, Dr Ahmed said: 'If you've got pain or [are] tired all the time or have visual problems, and say this one thing to me [that it gets worse in the heat] I'm definitely thinking about multiple sclerosis. 'Often people say they have dizziness or the headache or the pain gets worse when they are exercising or when they go in a sauna or when they have a hot bath,' he said. The worsening of a neurological condition as the body temperature rises is the Uhtoff's Phenomenon, he explained. It is experienced by 60 to 80 per cent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), so while it doesn't necessarily mean you have the condition, it is a 'strong indicator', he warned. He urged those who experience worsening symptoms in the heat to speak to a doctor who can advise if you need further tests. MS is a life-changing, incurable condition affecting the brain and spinal cord that causes debilitating muscle spasms, among other symptoms. While MS does not directly kill, at advanced stages, it can cause weakness in the chest muscles, leading to difficulty breathing and swallowing—which can have life-threatening complications. Those in the late stage of the illness are also extremely vulnerable to potentially deadly infections. Some studies show that MS patients are up to 75 per cent more likely to die young than those without the disease. Most people find out they have MS in their thirties and forties, but the first signs can start years earlier. The main symptoms include fatigue, numbness and tingling, loss of balance and dizziness, and stiffness or spasms. Others include memory and thinking problems, vision changes, bowel trouble, bladder problems, pain, and tremors. The doctor's warning follows a concerning rise in cases, with around 150,000 people living with MS in the UK. This is up from around 130,000 in 2019, according to recent research by the MS Society. The doctor's warning follows soaring rates—an estimated 150,000 people with MS in the UK , and nearly 7,100 more people being diagnosed each year. While experts don't know the reason cases are on the rise, possible factors are infections, a lack of vitamin D, smoking, solvents, obesity, and stress. It is important to spot the early signs of the condition, as while there is no cure for MS, treatments can slow the progression of the disease. The type of treatment you will need depends on the type of the disease patients have: relapsing remitting, secondary progressive, and primary progressive. Relapse and remitting MS involves flare-ups of symptoms where they get worse (relapse) and get better (remission). Over time it often develops into secondary progressive MS, when symptoms are there all the time, and get slowly worse. In the less common case of primary progressive MS, symptoms slowly getting worse over time without periods of them going away or getting better. Treatments may include several types of medication such as steroids, disease-modifying therapies, muscle relaxants, and those to treat pain and other symptoms. Other types of support include advice on fatigue, physiotherapy, mobility equipment, talking therapies, and cognitive rehabilitation. This warning comes months after, Hollywood actress Selma Blair, diagnosed with MS in 2018, shared she was 'in remission' after receiving a promising new treatment. The Legally Blonde actress underwent a treatment found to slow progression and ease symptoms called a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This procedure extracts and then reinfuses stems cells—undifferentiated cells with the ability to develop into various specialised cell types—into a person's body. The results of this procedure can go as far as to 'see patients go from a wheelchair to walking', experts have said. Doctors are using these types of procedures to repair years-worth of brain damage, even restoring some paralysed patients' ability to walk by re-growing tissue. Dr Alexander Scheer, an expert in regenerative medicine who has treated patients with MS with stem cells, said: 'It's so beautiful to watch. 'I mean, to see a patient go from a wheelchair, to be able to walk is, to me, why I went into medicine.' The doctor successfully treated Richard Benedetto, 56, who has MS, with stem cell transplants. Mr Benedetto regained his ability to walk after undergoing a series of operations to transplant stem cells into his brain.
