Selma Blair revealed she’s going to ‘live longer than she thought’ after her multiple sclerosis went into remission following years of having symptoms dismissed by doctors.
The American actress, 53, opened up about her MS as she posed for Flow Space, as she took to the stage at the Women’s Health Summit in Los Angeles.
Selma has faced decades-long struggle with getting a diagnosis and was finally told she had MS, which is a lifelong condition that affects the brain and nerves, in August 2018 after she finally was told to have a MRI scan of her brain.
The Legally Blonde star has now said she is ‘going to live longer’ after resting and recovering.Â
On finding strength, Selma said: ‘I’m going to live longer than I ever thought. Rest and recovery are essential. I find tricks, because I’ll show up—no matter what.’Â
Now she is in remission, the actress hopes to compete on her horse Mr. Nibbles again, she added: ‘My dream is to ride again — even if it’s just backyard shows’.
Selma Blair revealed she’s going to ‘live longer than she thought’ after her multiple sclerosis went into remission following years of having symptoms dismissed by doctors
The American actress, 53, opened up about her MS as she posed for Flow Space, as she took to the stage at the Women’s Health Summit in Los AngelesÂ
Elsewhere the star said her son Arthur, 14, helps her manage her symptoms and keeps her grounded by telling her she is ’embarrassing’.Â
During the photo shoot, Selma showed off her sensational figure in a plunging strapless green dress before slipping into a figure hugging pink mini dress.Â
Last month, Selma opened up about being diagnosed with MS during an appearance on This Morning.Â
Speaking of her early symptoms, Selma said: ‘I had symptoms since as young as I can remember, with my eye sight and we just never really diagnosed it.
‘It could be painful in the eye, pressure in the eye, the eye nerve gets quite inflamed, but with relapsing MS it can also go away, so it can be tricky for doctors especially when you’re young and quite capable.
‘I’d do neurological tests at the doctors, and I could do all that – so there were things that were missed, but I had chronic headache, chronic fever, I had a dropped leg, I developed tics sometimes, which was when I would actually be in a flare as a child.
‘I did spend my entire life with doctors really trying to figure out why I was so tired, but it was just misdiagnosed as depression, because extreme fatigue can seem like depression.
‘I kind of went that way and figured, “I guess it’s all in my head”, it was confusing.’
Selma has faced decades-long struggle with getting a diagnosis and was finally told she had MS, which is a lifelong condition that affects the brain and nerves, in August 2018 after she finally was told to have a MRI scan of her brain
The Legally Blonde star has now said she is ‘going to live longer’ after resting and recovering
On finding strength, Selma said: ‘I’m going to live longer than I ever thought. Rest and recovery are essential. I find tricks, because I’ll show up—no matter what’
She went on to explain how things got progressively worse: ‘My skin had fallen apart, my body and the fatigue. I’d be riding my horse and get whiplash because I wasn’t strong enough to carry myself.
‘I’d go to the doctor quite often and say, “I can’t stay awake” and they’d say, “Well, what mother can?”‘
While pregnant, Selma revealed that her symptoms had subsided before she then welcomed her son Arthur in 2011, which saw things take a turn for the worse.
She continued: ‘I felt great, and I didn’t know, I wasn’t diagnosed with MS yet and I didn’t know that often there are times it can go into remission.
‘I felt amazing – until I gave birth and then it was, everything hit the fan and I didn’t know what it was, I couldn’t walk it was just too painful.
‘The doctor said, “This happens to a lot of women”… so it was missed and just described as extreme postpartum because I had trouble staying awake.’
It wasn’t until Selma took to social media with a scan of her spine that she finally started to get answers, when she was referred to a specialist by a friend.
Selma explained: ‘I was searching on social media asking if anyone had a doctor – and I put a plea out on my social media.
‘I did for the first time see a spinal neurologists and he looked at my MRI and he said, “Yes, you’re getting older but it shouldn’t be this severe that your leg is dragging”.
‘He said that something was wrong… I got an MRI for the first time that night even though I’d begged for one my whole life. I had CAT scans and other things, but never an MRI.
Now she is in remission, the actress hopes to compete on her horse Mr. Nibbles again, she added: ‘My dream is to ride again — even if it’s just backyard shows’
During the photo shoot, Selma showed off her sensational figure in a plunging strapless green dress before slipping into a trendy black blouse and white mini skirt
‘It immediately showed and he said, “You must’ve had this for 20 years”. It was amazing to get it, a bit in shock, but really amazed.’
Luckily for Selma, she hasn’t seen a flare up of her symptoms in some time.
She added of her recovery: ‘I am really lucky, I’m relapse-free now for a couple of years, and I’ve made so many gains.’
It comes after the actress was honoured with the CineHealth Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her enduring contributions to film, television, fashion and disability advocacy, all while navigating her battle with MS.
The honor, presented at this year’s CineHealth Festival in Philadelphia, recognizes individuals who create media that educates, empowers and inspires those facing health challenges.
The Cruel Intentions star arrived to the event by helicopter with her loyal service dog, Scout, at her side, before heading straight to the stage.
Best known for her roles in Legally Blonde, The Sweetest Thing and Hellboy, Blair has also become a trailblazer for disability representation since publicly sharing her MS diagnosis in 2018.
