>>>
>>> LIKELY HEARD OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU
REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE DISEASE?
ACTRESS SELMA BLAIR SURPRISED
MANY WHEN SHE WAS AT AN OSCARS
PARTY USING A CANE AND THEN
OPENED UP ABOUT WHAT HER LIFE
HAS BEEN LIKE SINCE SHE FOUND
OUT SHE HAS MS. TO SHARE MORE
LIFE PERSPECTIVE ON LIVING WITH
MS KATY LATTA, LOVEY RAY JOINED
ME NOW AS WELL AS LAURIE
JOHNSOM FROM THE MS SOCIETY .
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN
SELMA DID THIS INTERVIEW AND
TALKED IN A PUBLIC WAY AND SHE
IS A PUBLIC FIGURE ABOUT
SOMETHING YOU EXPERIENCE IN
YOUR LIVES?
YOUR LIVES? >> WHEN I SAW THE INTERVIEW I
THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME WAS
OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES A LOT OF
COURAGE. SHE WAS VERY VULNERABLE
AND THAT WAS SUCH AN INSPIRING
THING FOR ME.
TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT SO BOLDLY
WITH A CANE AND TO SAY, THIS IS
WHAT IT'S LIKE, IT WAS REALLY
EMPOWERING IN A LOT OF WAYS
BECAUSE SOMETIMES MS DOESN'T
LOOK LIKE THAT.
TO HAVE HER BE ABLE TO TALK IN
HER INTERVIEW AS WELL ABOUT
SOME OF THE BEHIND THE PHYSICAL
SYMPTOMS AS WELL, THAT WAS FOR
ME AMAZING.
ME AMAZING. >> DID YOU FEEL YOU HAVE THE
SAME IMPRESSION, YOU ARE
RELATING TO THINGS SHE WAS
DESCRIBING?
DESCRIBING? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I
>> YES. I DEFINITELY RELATED.
IT TOOK A WHILE FOR ME TO BE
DIAGNOSED.
DIAGNOSED. ALL I COULD THINK WAS, SHE IS
SPEAKING FOR ALL OF US.
BECAUSE MS DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE.
I'M A SINGLE MOM OF FIVE I
NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD END UP
WITH MS. I HAVE A SISTER WHO
HAS MS I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT
UNTIL RECENTLY.
UNTIL RECENTLY. I HAVE A COUSIN WHO HAS MS. IT
DOESN'T CARE WHO YOU ARE,
WHETHER YOU'RE A CELEBRITY OR
AN EVERYDAY PERSON.
WE ARE A FAMILY.
FOR TO SPEAK OUT WAS A GREAT WAY
TO HELP BRING AWARENESS TO THIS
THING A LOT OF US LIVE WITH AN
ART ABLE TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT.
>> EVERY EXPERIENCE EVEN THOUGH
THERE IS A COMMONALITY, EVERY
EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT.
MS IMPACTS DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN
DIFFERENT WAYS.
DIFFERENT WAYS. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
WE LIKE TO SAY IF YOU KNOW ONE
PERSON WITH MS, YOU KNOW ONE
EXPERIENCE WITH MS. RUINS
EXPERIENCE LOOKS DIFFERENT.
THE FIRST SYMPTOMS YOU
EXPERIENCE, YOUR DIAGNOSIS
STORY, EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE AND THE DISEASE
COURSE CAN VARY FROM PERSON TO
PERSON REGARDLESS OF AGE OR ANY
OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC.
OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC. >> OR THE SERIOUS SYMPTOMS YOU
EXPERIENCED ?
EXPERIENCED ? >> I HAD A MASSIVE NEUROLOGICAL
EPISODE THE PRESENTED LIKE A
STROKE.
STROKE.
STROKE. WAS AT THE LIBRARY WITH MY
FAMILY AT THE TIME AND I
STARTED FEELING FUNNY ON MY
RIGHT SIDE.
RIGHT SIDE. SOMEHOW IN MY BRAIN I WAS LIKE,
I NEED TO SMILE.
I NEED SOMEONE TO CHECK MY
SMILE.
SMILE.
SMILE. I
SMILE. I WENT TO THE GIRLS FATHER AND
SAID YOU HAVE TO CHECK MY
SMILE.
SMILE.
SMILE. HE
SMILE. HE LOOKED AT ME AND WAS LIKE
WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?
WHEN I SMILED ANY SON I
COULDN'T CONTROL THE RIGHT SIDE
OF MY BODY HE CALL 911.
I WAS WITH THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE
MY LIFESTYLE OTHERWISE DIDN'T
INDICATE SOMEONE WHO WOULD
OTHERWISE AT RISK FOR A STROKE.
IT TURNED OUT AFTER THE INITIAL
ROUND IN THE ER THAT SOMETHING
WAS OFF AND I SPENT FIVE DAYS
IN THE HOSPITAL.
THEY RULED EVERYTHING OUT, WHEN
THE NEUROLOGIST WALKED IN AND
SAID I HAD MS I WAS LIKE, ALL
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. I
RIGHT. I WAS ONE OF THE VERY FEW AND
VERY FORTUNATE TO GET A VERY
QUICK DIAGNOSIS.
QUICK DIAGNOSIS. BUT IT TOOK MANY DAYS AND A LOT
OF TESTS AND A LOT OF SITTING
THERE, SLEEPLESS AND UNCERTAIN,
NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT,
WHAT WAS GOING TO COME ON THE
OTHER SIDE.
OTHER SIDE. >> HOW ABOUT YOU?
>> I WAS DIAGNOSED AFTER A CAR
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT.
ACCIDENT. I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT AND I
STOOD LOSING MY VISION IN BOTH
EYES.
EYES.
EYES. MORE PARTICULARLY IN MY LEFT
EYE.
EYE.
EYE. AND
EYE. AND LOST ALL PERIPHERAL AND I
LIKE TO CALL IT THE SPIDEY
SENSE.
SENSE.
SENSE. I
SENSE. I WENT TO THE DOCTORS AND
EVENTUALLY HAD MRI AND SPINAL
TAP WHICH ARE MOST COMMONLY
USED TO DIAGNOSE. IT ACTUALLY
WAS A RELIEF FOR ME AS I HAVE
BEEN DEALING WITH FATIGUE FOR
SO LONG.
SO LONG.
SO LONG. I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH OTHER
SMALL SYMPTOMS, ESPECIALLY
COGNITIVE WHICH IS A BIG ISSUE
FOR ME.
FOR ME.
FOR ME. IT WAS A RELIEF FOR ME, MORE
THAN FEELING LIKE A DEATH
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE. THANK YOU, I NOW KNOW WHAT'S
WRONG WITH ME AND I CAN WORK ON
HAVING A BETTER LIFE, I CAN
WORK ON ENTERING MYSELF.
I ENJOY USING MY EXPERIENCE AND
WHAT I'VE LEARNED TO HELP
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. >> THAT'S WONDERFUL.
THESE ARE TWO FACES OF MS. FOR
PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME SANG
WHAT CAN I DO?
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE?
>> WE WANT YOU TO GET CONNECTED.
TO SOLVE FOR MS WE NEED
EVERYONE TO PLAY A PART.
FIRST OPPORTUNITY YOU WILL HAVE
TO GET INVOLVED IS WITH OUR
WALK MS EVENT HAPPENING ALL
OVER THE STATE.
THEY START IN APRIL AND WE
WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU BE PART
OF THAT.
OF THAT.
OF THAT. >> TERRIFIC.
>> TERRIFIC. THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR SELMA
BLAIR TODAY.
BLAIR TODAY. AND LOOKING JUST AS FIERCELY BY
THE WAY.
THE WAY.
THE WAY. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.