How Celebrities With MS Manage Their Day-to-Day

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable autoimmune disorder. 

MS symptoms can flare up suddenly. They include a large number of physical and mental impairments, such as: 

• Difficulty walking
• Temporary blindness
• Depression
• Memory issues
• Fatigue

All of these symptoms can radically interfere with your daily life — but there’s still hope. Read on to discover tips about living with MS from celebrities who have the disease. 

Blair is a famous actress who hasn’t let her diagnosis keep her stuck in one place. 

She’s embraced the use of canes, bikes, and other mobility devices to get around during a flare-up. 

MS is exhausting — don’t be ashamed just because you need help getting around. 

Applegate is one of the most recent celebrities to reveal her MS diagnosis to the public, and she hasn’t let this disease slow her down. In fact, she seems busier than ever. 

She recommends getting up every day and giving it your all. Do what you need to do and accommodate your body as needed. 

Sigler kept her diagnosis out of the public eye for a long time. She says that she tried to live in denial of her condition for too long. 

It can be difficult to come to terms with your new reality — but acceptance is the first step to getting treatment and support for your symptoms. 

This talk show host was diagnosed with MS in the midst of a successful career, and he didn’t let it stop him. After a few years of simply trying to cope with his condition, he decided to try and thrive instead. 

Some of the most debilitating aspects of MS are the psychological symptoms. Deciding to make the most out of life every single day, though, can significantly improve your outlook for the future and empower you to thrive.  

This celebrity decided to make every day better by trying to increase awareness of his disease. He started his own website about the condition to raise awareness and share his own experiences. 

Noah Shebib is an engineer who produces for Drake, the musician. He’s lived with MS for over a decade and has learned to do what he can, when he can. 

MS sometimes keeps him from doing basic things like walking fast. So, when his flare-ups calm down, Shebib doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity. He walks fast as often as he can, simply because he can.  

This country singer is another celebrity with an MS diagnosis. 

Some things that he — and everyone with the condition — can do to obtain a better life include getting a good night’s sleep and plenty of regular exercise. Calming activities like yoga and tai chi can help with both your physical and mental symptoms.

This actress was diagnosed with MS decades ago, and she is still alive today. The main thing she realized in that time is that you need to simplify your life after your diagnosis. Don’t try to do everything all the time. Instead, focus on the things that are truly important to you. 

Unfortunately, people with MS tend to have shorter life expectancies than healthy people. 

The comedian Richard Pryor, the actress Annette Funicello, and the actor David L. Lander are all people who were diagnosed with MS at some point before they passed away. 

All of them had thriving lives outside of their diagnosis, though, and their enduring influence is an important reminder that this disease does not have to define you -- so don’t let it.