WASHINGTON — Christina Applegate on Tuesday announced that she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
In a series of tweets, the 49-year-old "Married... with Children" and "Dead to Me" actress said she was diagnosed "a few months ago" and that it has been a "strange journey."
"I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going," she said.
In a follow-up post, she quoted a friend who has the disease, “we wake up and take the indicated action.” Applegate added that she plans on doing just that.
She added that, at this time, she would like some privacy as she goes "through this thing."
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society describes multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, as "an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body."
There currently isn't a cure for MS, but the National Multiple Sclerosis Society says that there are U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved medications that have been shown to "modify" the course of MS.
Worldwide, more than 2.3 million people have been diagnosed with MS, and it's estimated that about 1 million people in the United States are living with it.
Applegate won her Emmy in 2003 for a guest spot on “Friends” and has a Tony Award nomination for the musical “Sweet Charity.” Her films include “The Sweetest Thing,” “Anchorman,” “Hall Pass” and “Bad Moms.”
According to reports, this isn't the first life-changing health concern Applegate has had. In 2008, she revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo a double mastectomy surgery.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
