Christina Applegate has revealed further details about her daily struggles after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The 52-year-old, best known for her role as Jen Harding in Netflix's hit show Dead To Me, opened up about her battle with the degenerative condition in a new episode of Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast after going public with her diagnosis in 2021.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves and those with the disease can experience a wide range of symptoms including extreme fatigue, depression, mobility issues, and sexual dysfunction.
While some may be able to get into remission, where no new symptoms present themselves, others have to live with daily struggles - struggles that Applegate has opened up about in a new interview.
"This is the worst thing that's happened to me in my entire life," she said on the March 25 podcast episode. "I have 30 lesions on my brain. My biggest one is behind my right eye, so my right eye hurts a lot."
Applegate also stated that sometimes "my hand starts to go weird and then I'll get a seizure-y feeling sometimes in my brain."
"It sucks," the actress added. "I hate it so much. I'm so mad about it."
Elsewhere in the interview she also discussed how her attitude towards pretending to be okay about her illness has changed especially compared to when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 36.
"I learned that lesson the hard way because in 2008, when I had breast cancer at 36 years old, I went out, and I was the good girl talking about 'Oh, I love my new boobs' that are all scarred and f***** up. What was I thinking?" she said.
"My first interview was with Robin Roberts when I had cancer, and I'm sitting there lying my ass off about how I felt," continued Applegate, before adding that she couldn't help but sob about it after the cameras stopped rolling.
"Everything I was saying was a freaking lie," she told Shepard. "It was me trying to convince myself of something, and I think that did no service to anyone."
"Yes, I started a foundation right away. Yes, I did all the things that I had to do, and we raised millions of dollars for women to get MRIs who were at high risk. Yes, we did a good thing, but at the back of it, I was taking off my bra and crying every night. And I wish that I had said that," she added.
Watch Applegate get candid about her struggles with MS below
Applegate is honest and raw about her feelings towards MS, previously telling PEOPLE about the most difficult symptoms she is forced to deal with.
"Well, you pee...in your pants," she said. "Because you probably can’t get to the bathroom in time. So yeah, diapers."
But even with the physical changes, the star's humor has been left untouched as she added that there are some benefits to having the condition.
"But there are some benefits to MS. First of all, parking is awesome," Applegate said, before Sigler added: "There could be a cure for MS, and I will not give up my handicap placard. We earned it!"
"And wheelchair seating - awesome. Pre-board - awesome. Wheelchair through the entire airport..." the Netflix star added to the list.
We're glad to see that Applegate is still doing what she does best: keeping it raw and real. We wish her all the best in her health journey.
.jpg_gqgERZ?tr=h-40&config=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)
.jpg_gqgERZ?tr=h-184&config=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)
