MS is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease that affects nearly three million people worldwide and can be difficult to diagnose, leading to misdiagnoses in a fifth of cases, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Applegate had previously described dealing with difficulty walking and balance problems, as well as a lack of co-ordination and numbness in her extremities.
But she said the diagnosis had provided some clarity and a path forward, whereas having no explanation for her symptoms left her once again searching.
“It’s hard to say, but she came into my room and she said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS,’” Applegate said. “I was like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy.”
“I still have to use wheelchairs when I go to the doctor’s office. I can’t walk from the car to the room. I’m still in this.”
– AFP