Christina Applegate said it ‘sucked balls’ when her doctor informed her she had multiple sclerosis.
The actress, 51, described the moment she received the life-changing diagnosis during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday, where she called shooting Dead To Me amid her health battle the ‘hardest thing’ she had ever done.
Christina learned she officially had MS after she finished working on the Netflix series for the day, but symptoms had already been manifesting in the four years prior to the official diagnosis.
‘I didn’t know what was happening to me’: Christina Applegate said it ‘sucked balls’ when her doctor informed her she had multiple sclerosis
‘Shooting the show was the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life because I was diagnosed during shooting. I didn’t know what was happening to me,’ she explained.
Unable to walk, Christina said she needed a wheelchair to get her to the show.
‘I couldn’t walk, they had to use a wheelchair to get me to set. I was freaking out until someone was like, “You need an MRI” and then I found out on a Monday after work that I had MS, a disease that I’m gonna have for the rest of my life,’ she said.
‘And then I started thinking about the last four years, and I had very small symptoms.’
‘I was freaking out’: Unable to walk, Christina said she needed a wheelchair to get her to the show
Christina said she had already been experiencing symptoms over the years before they progressed to their current state.
‘We were on set and I’d go “Oh! I think I’m tired!” So it presented itself a few years ago until it got as bad as it did.’
‘It sucked balls,’ she added of receiving the diagnosis.
‘It presented itself a few years ago’: Christina said she had already been experiencing symptoms over the years which progressed to their current state
Life-changing diagnosis: The Married… With Children star recalled the fateful moment her doctor informed her she had MS
Christina addressed her battle with the disease while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month.
In a tearful speech, the Emmy Award winning actress thanked her friends and family for helping her live every day with the debilitating condition — before openly joking about it.
‘By the way, I have a disease,’ she told the audience, who was barefoot and stood with the aid of a cane as she was propped up by her Married With Children co-star Katey Sagal. ‘Did you not notice?’
‘A disease that I’m gonna have for the rest of my life’: MS sees the immune system eat away at the protective covering of nerves, and interrupt the flow of information between the brain and the body
Honored: Christina addressed her battle with the disease while receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month
‘I’m not even wearing shoes,’ Applegate continued, before showing off her freshly manicured nails reading ‘FU MS.’
The actress first revealed in August 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS – a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves, and interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body.
In November she said that the illness had devastated her mobility, leaving her unable to walk without a cane and said she had put on 40lbs.
Applegate was diagnosed with MS while in production on the final season of her show, Dead to Me, which then took a five month break so that she could begin her treatment.
Debilitating: In November she said that the illness had devastated her mobility, leaving her unable to walk without a cane
But the Anchorman star pushed on to continue shooting the last season.
‘I had an obligation. The powers that be were like, “Let’s just stop. We don’t need to finish it. Let’s put a few episodes together [with previously recorded footage],”‘ Applegate previously told The New York Times. ‘I said, “No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms.”‘
She also shared that when production of the show — which has earned her two Emmy nominations — paused ‘There was the sense of, “Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better.”‘
However, the actress added that ‘There is no better’ and said, ‘I’m never going to accept this. I’m p***ed.’
Star power: Applegate sitting by her newly minted star during her ceremony last month
Ultimately taking the break was ‘good’ for her: ‘I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time. Although it’s not like I came on the other side of it, like, “Woohoo, I’m totally fine.”‘
The Los Angeles born beauty also said that looking back there were some signs of the disease, as she talked about losing her balance in a dance scene during the first season.
‘I wish I had paid attention. But who was I to know?’ she said.
‘Hardest thing’: Applegate called shooting the final season of Dead To Me amid her health battle the most challenging thing she had ever done in her life
The star shared that once she returned, she needed a wheelchair to get to set due to her declined mobility, and that a sound technician had to hold up her legs in order to get certain shots.
She said she couldn’t film shots of her walking into a room because she would need assistance, and that she would lean against doors while standing to be able to stay up.
The star also said she isn’t sure whether she’ll watch the final season as it’s too painful, but that she wanted to finish shooting it for her co-star Linda Cardellini and show creator Liz Feldman.
‘If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can concentrate on is, “Ooh, look at the cripple,” that’s not up to me. I’m sure that people are going to be, like, “I can’t get past it.” Fine, don’t get past it, then. But hopefully people can get past it and just enjoy the ride and say goodbye to these two girls,’ she stated.
Health battle: Applegate was diagnosed with MS while in production on the final season of her show, Dead to Me, which then took a five month break so that she could begin her treatment