Actress Christina Applegate talked candidly about a challenging time in her multiple sclerosis (MS) journey in a recent edition of her podcast, MeSsy. The 52-year-old celebrity talked of a terrible recurrence that left her with excruciating leg pain that prevented her from feeling stable or even walking. She also had sleep difficulties and tingling sensations.
When the podcast episode was being recorded, Applegate had contacted her doctor during the relapse but had not heard back. She conveyed her worry about her symptoms getting worse, especially the persistent discomfort in her legs and lack of energy.
Applegate’s mental health suffered greatly as a result of her recurrence. She talked about wanting things to go away and felt powerless. Applegate used to hide in a dark room and watch TV in an attempt to numb the agony when she was at her lowest.
The actress also discussed how her day-to-day life was impacted by the relapse. Applegate laughed as she said that standing hurt too much and she was unable to take a shower for three weeks. She made a joke about giving her daughter Sadie a smell under her arms to see how she would react.
Sadie, Applegate’s daughter, has also learned a lot from her mother’s experience with MS. The two have had to learn to live with the difficulties and losses brought on by the illness. Applegate used to be a very involved and energetic mother, but her daughter’s experience has been greatly impacted by the changes she had to make because of MS.
Applegate exhibits unwavering resilience in spite of the challenges. She finds ways to stay upbeat and copes with life by using humor. She emphasized throughout the radio episode the value of getting understanding and support when things are tough.
The experiences of Applegate serve as a reminder that although having a chronic condition such as MS is not easy, it is possible to overcome the obstacles and enjoy some moments of happiness along the way if one has humor, tenacity, and a strong support network.
