Jamie-Lynn Sigler Just Opened Up About What It’s Like To Struggle With MS For 17 Years

From Women's Health

• Jamie-Lynn Sigler opened up about her struggles with MS in the newest episode of Shondaland's podcast Katie's Crib hosted by Katie Lowes

• The 37-year-old actress was diagnosed when she was 20, but didn't reveal it publicly until January 2016.

• Sigler shares the challenges, both mentally and physically, of having the unpredictable disease.

It's been 17 years since she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler is now opening up about how she still struggles to cope with the disease.

In a new episode of the Shondaland podcast Katie's Crib, hosted by Scandal alum Katie Lowes, Jamie-Lynn, 37, revealed more details about her life with MS-and how she still struggles with "being okay" with her body.

Tell me more about Jamie-Lynn's MS. When was she diagnosed?

MS is an often disabling disease of the central nervous system, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). Jamie-Lynn was diagnosed at just 20 years old. But even then, her symptoms weren't necessarily something she could pinpoint, or that other people cold see (Jamie-Lynn described this as being "silently symptomatic").

Now that she's had her MS for 17 years (she only recently went public with her MS in 2016), Jamie-Lynn has gotten to know her MS symptoms a little better. The actress said she suffers from bladder control issues, as well as spasticity (after she's been sitting for a long time, her body freezes up and gets stiff). Jamie-Lynn also said her walking impairments are becoming increasingly noticeable (she walks with a bit of a limp).

While her MS has dictated many things in her life, there's one thing she didn't let the disease control: Her choice to have a family. While Jamie-Lynn's first pregnancy was an "accident," doctors urged her not to have a second child. "My neurologist said 'I don't think you should have another just for the stress of it all,'" she said. But Jamie said she wasn't about to let MS "make that choice for me."

So how is Jamie-Lynn feeling today with MS?

Jamie-Lynn said her MS has been "stable" for the past 10 years. And while having a five-year-old and a 14-month-old would be hard for anyone to manage, Jamie-Lynn says her children don't really know any different. In fact, she said the disease has also made her realize how strong she is.

"I am there for them each and every day," Jamie-Lynn wrote in personal essay, also for Shondaland.com. "I walk Jack every day in his stroller, around the block, no matter how long it takes me. I take Beau to hockey and karate and baseball, and sit on my chair and cheer him on. I am definitely participating in life the way I always dreamed, but it's not without challenges."

As for work, Jamie-Lynn, who kept her MS a secret for the majority of her career, says she still struggles with the aspect of making her MS public. "Even now when I work, which is very rare, I still deal with this - wanting to look normal, wanting to cover [my MS] up, because that’s what I did for so many years,” she tells Lowes.

“I think I’m still coming to terms with owning it, and being okay with knowing this is just my body and how I move,” she added.

And Jamie-Lynn is far from alone in her fight: Over two million people have the disease, per the NMSS, and Jamie-Lynn shared a touching tribute on Instagram to her "new friend" Selma Blair, who was diagnosed with MS in August 2018.

"Selma, you are a new friend, but your heart, bravery and courage makes us ALL feel so close to you," Sigler writes in the post. "This woman brings everyone another step further in feeling represented, understood and unafraid. Pls watch her incredible interview on GMA this morning if you haven’t. She said things better than many of us ever could."

Here's to hoping Jamie-Lynn continues to speak out about her MS-she's certainly helping a lot of people by promoting awareness for the disease.

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