Christina Applegate opens up about her battle with MS

Christina Applegate is without a doubt one of the most charming actresses there are.

The Dead to Me star was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2008 and underwent a double mastectomy. Some ten years after the procedure, in an interview for USA Today, Applegate revealed she was still facing body image issues. “I think about it every day. Girls who go through this, we say to each other, ‘Yep, it’s been 10 years,’ but you’re never not aware that that’s something you’ve been through. Everything looks different. You have to shower and you’re like, ‘Oh, there they are. That happened,’” she said.

Applegate has also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed after she was told that she has the BRCA1 genetic mutation, a gene associated with an increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.

Image source: Flick/Gage Skidmore

Sadly, her health struggles are far from over. In August 2022, The Sweetest Thing star revealed that she had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune chronic disease of the central nervous system which disrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body, as well as within the brain.

There is currently no cure for it, but the symptoms could be managed with proper treatment. For people with MS, average life expectancy is slightly reduced.

When Applegate first spoke of her diagnosis, she described the experience as a ‘strange journey’ and a ‘tough road.’ She added that she received support from people she knows who also have the condition.

In a second twit, she asked for some privacy as she deals with her condition.

One of the first people who shared their support is fellow actress Selma Blair, who was diagnosed with MS herself in 2017.

“Loving you always. Always here,” Selma wrote. “As are our kids. Beating us up with love.”

Blair has been very vocal about MS and makes sure she shares her experience on the social media and elswehere.

Applegate has taken her condition seriously and does her best to manage her health. “With MS, most exercises can be scary due to numbness in feet and legs,” she tweeted. “So sitting and knowing I’m still using my body is awesome.”