Selma Blair says her multiple sclerosis is in remission
Selma Blair has spoken openly about living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological and autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system over the past two years. But within a recent Instagram, the 48-year-old Blair revealed some good news: the actress’s MS is in remission.
In the post, which now has more than 74k likes, Blair can be seen posing in a dark swimsuit drinking a bottle of water, with the caption reading: “Water water. Don’t forget to drink it.” In the comments section, Instagram user @mamacas83 asked the actress about her health. “Improving!!” replied Blair, followed by the good news, “In remission!”
Water water. Don’t forget to drink it.
A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on
The comment didn’t offer more details, but it did garner a very positive response from her fans.
“Yes! So glad to hear that. For me it’s a magic word. Very happy for you,” said @milicasaldo, while user @_apg_3 commented, “What??!!! I had no idea, best news I’ve heard in a while!!!” User @papergirlpodcast added, “Fantastic news. I’ve found you highly inspirational and to be a gorgeous human being.”
There was some speculation about how she got into remission, with some commenters pointing to Blair’s previous mentions of undergoing some kind of stem cell therapy. What they were likely referring to is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) — an experimental treatment that uses chemotherapy in order to essentially “reset” one's immune system. However, the actress did not provide further clarification into her current condition or how she got there and has yet to make any new posts.
Blair first revealed her initial diagnosis back in August 2018 and has posted candidly about her journey on her account ever since, inspiring countless individuals with MS and informing others about this debilitating condition. But what does it mean for her to now be in remission?
First, it’s important to understand that there are actually four types of multiple sclerosis: Clinically Isolated Syndrome, Relapsing-remitting MS, Secondary progressive MS and Primary progressive MS. Not all of these involve remission, which is a period of time following a flare-up of symptoms, in which there are few to no symptoms. As the name suggests, Relapsing-remitting MS is generally associated with these fluctuations in symptoms. Primary and Secondary progressive MS, however, do not have these “breaks” in symptoms.
Additionally, the period of remission can last anywhere from weeks to months (and in rare occasions, even years). And while there is no cure to this chronic disease, it’s rarely fatal — meaning most individuals are able to live a relatively long life (roughly about 7 years less than an individual without MS). Symptoms vary widely for the 2.3 million individuals worldwide who live with the disease and can include fatigue, cognitive and emotional changes, numbness and/or tingling, difficulty walking, vision problems, bladder and bowel problems, pain and itching, spasticity, sexual issues and dizziness or vertigo. More rarely, they may also include seizures, speech problems, swallowing problems, tremors, hearing loss and breathing problems.
Over the years, Blair has shared what some of her own symptoms have been, including spasms in her face and neck and walking issues (that have caused her injury as well as prompted her to use a cane, which she employed in a widely publicized moment while in attendance at the Vanity Fair Oscars party). She has also revealed experiencing trouble controlling her movements, plus vision and hearing issues. While it’s not yet known just how long this remission will last for Blair, or how much of it can be attributed to her recent treatments, it’s clear many are rooting for her to continue feeling her best.
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