Christina Applegate said it was “bullshit” when her doctor told her she had multiple sclerosis.
The 51-year-old actress 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’d ever done.
Christina learned she officially had MS after finishing work on the Netflix series for the day, but the symptoms had already manifested themselves in the four years prior to the official diagnosis.
‘I didn’t know what was happening to me’: Christina Applegate said it was ‘bullshit’ when her doctor told her she had multiple sclerosis
“Filming the show was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life because I was diagnosed while filming. I didn’t know what was happening to me,” she explained.
Christina could not walk and said she needed a wheelchair to take her to the show.
“I couldn’t walk, they had to use a wheelchair to take me to the set. I freaked out until someone was like, ‘You need an MRI,’ and then one Monday after work I found out I have MS, a disease I’ll have for the rest of my life,” she said.
“And then I started thinking about the last four years and I had very little symptoms.”
‘I freaked out’: Christina couldn’t walk and said she needed a wheelchair to get to the show
Christina said she had symptoms over the years before reaching her current condition.
“We were on set and I was like, ‘Oh! I think I’m tired!’” That’s how it presented itself a few years ago until it got as bad as it was.’
“It sucked,” she added upon receiving the diagnosis.
“It showed up a few years ago”: Christina said she’s had symptoms over the years that have progressed to where she is now
Life-changing diagnosis: The ‘Married… With Children’ star recalled the fateful moment when her doctor told her she had MS
Christina addressed her struggle with the disease when she received 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 illness – before openly joking about it.
“By the way, I have an illness,” she told the audience, who were barefoot and standing with the help of a cane while being propped up by her Married-With-Children co-star Katey Sagal. ‘Didn’t you notice?’
“A disease I will have for the rest of my life”: MS sees the immune system eat away at the protective covering of nerves, disrupting the flow of information between the brain and body
Honored: Christina addressed her struggle with the disease when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month
“I don’t even wear shoes,” Applegate continued, before showing off her freshly manicured nails that read “FU MS.”
The actress first announced in August 2021 that she was diagnosed with MS — a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering around nerves, disrupting the flow of information between the brain and body.
In November, she said the illness had destroyed her mobility and she could no longer walk without a cane, and said she had gained 40 pounds.
Applegate was diagnosed with MS during production of the final season of her show Dead to Me, which then took a five-month hiatus to begin her treatment.
Debilitation: In November, she said the illness had destroyed her mobility, leaving her unable to walk without a cane
But the anchorman star has been pushing to resume filming the final season.
“I had an obligation. The powerful said, “Let’s just stop. We don’t have to end it. Let’s put some episodes together [with previously recorded footage]’ Applegate previously told the New York Times. “I said no. We’ll do it, but we’ll do it on my terms.
She also shared that when production on the show — which earned her two Emmy nominations — paused, “There was a feeling of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine to make her feel better.’
However, the actress added that “there’s nothing better,” saying, “I’ll never accept that. I’m p***ed.’
Star power: Applegate sits next to her newly minted star during her ceremony last month
Ultimately, the break was “good” for her: “I had to process my loss of my life, my loss of this part of me. So I needed that time. Though it’s not like I got to the other side, like, “Woohoo, I’m totally fine.”
The Los Angeles-born beauty also said that looking back, there were some signs of the illness as she spoke about losing her balance in a dance scene during the first season.
“I wish I’d been paying attention. But who should I know?’ She said.
‘The hardest thing’: Applegate called filming the final season of Dead To Me amid her health struggle the most challenging thing she’s ever done in her life
The star shared that when she returned, she needed a wheelchair to get to the set due to her limited mobility and required a sound engineer to hold her legs up to make certain recordings.
She said she couldn’t take pictures of her entering a room because she would need help and that when she was standing she would lean against doors to stay up.
The star also said she wasn’t sure if she’d watch the final season as it was too painful, but that she wanted to finish filming for her co-star Linda Cardellini and the show’s creator, Liz Feldman.
“If people hate it, if people love it, if all they can focus on is, ‘Ooh, look at the cripple,’ then it’s not my fault. I’m sure people will say, “I can’t get over it.” Well, then, don’t get over it. But hopefully people can get over it and just enjoy the ride and say goodbye to these two girls,” she said.
Health struggle: Applegate was diagnosed with MS during production of the final season of her show Dead to Me, which then took a five-month hiatus to begin her treatment