Actress Selma Blair surprised fans in late October when she revealed that she has multiple sclerosis (MS)—which opened her up to a lot of press coverage. Unfortunately, some of it isn’t so positive.

Case in point: a National Enquirer story that shows a photo of Selma walking, with input from a doctor below it that describes those with MS as “prisoners in their own crumbling bodies.” The tabloid also titled the story, “Selma Blair’s Crippling Death Sentence” and the doctor used as a source said Selma “will lose her ability to walk.”

Selma Blair

Selma wrote over the image, saying “Ohmygod. This explains all those crumbs in my bed!! It’s from my own crumbling body!!! Yay!!” So, clearly, Selma didn’t agree with the tabloid’s statement—and honestly, rightfully so.

Hold on, what is MS again?

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system nervous system that affects a person’s brain and spinal cord, the U.S. National Library of Medicine explains. It damages the myelin sheath (the material that surrounds and protects your nerve cells)—and that damage slows down or blocks messages between your brain and your body.

Because of that miscommunication between the brain and body, MS symptoms typically include visual issues, muscle weakness, trouble with coordination and balance, numbness, prickling or pins and needles feelings, and thinking and memory problems

So…are people with MS really “prisoners in their own crumbling bodies”?

First and foremost, the doctor quoted in the article is not Selma’s doctor—therefore he zero information on her condition specifically.

In all actuality, though, the majority of people with MS do not become severely disabled, per the National MS Society: “Two-thirds of people who have MS remain able to walk, though many will need an aid, such as a cane or crutches, and some will use a scooter or wheelchair because of fatigue, weakness, balance problems, or to assist with conserving energy.”

As for Selma’s “death sentence”—that’s also greatly exaggerated. In fact, according to the National MS Society, people with MS can live an average of seven years less than the general population—but that’s due to disease complications or other medical conditions, most of which are preventable or manageable.

So while there may not currently be a cure for MS, it can be managed with medications, physical therapy, and a healthy lifestyle—so it’s not a “death sentence.” Nor do those with MS necessarily have “crumbling bodies”—so props to Selma for sticking up for herself and others with the disease.

Source: Read Full Article