Selma Blair Shares That Shes Now in Remission 3 Years After MS Diagnosis – Self

Three years after actor Selma Blair received her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, her treatment is working well and her prognosis is positive.

"My prognosis is great. I'm in remission. Stem cell put me in remission," Blair said at a TCA panel in support of the upcoming Introducing Selma Blair documentary, per People. "It took about a year after stem cell for the inflammation and lesions to really go down."

Multiple sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune condition that occurs when the body's immune system begins attacking the protective myelin sheaths that coat and protect nerve fibers. That can cause communication issues along the nerves and, over time, lead to permanent nerve damage.

People who have MS can have a range of symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, tingling, balance issues, muscle weakness, and changes in vision (like blurred vision or double vision). The symptoms typically come and go, and someone may experience a flare of their symptoms (that can last days, weeks, or months) or they might be in a period of remission when their symptoms wane (but don't necessarily disappear completely).

Although there is no cure for MS, there are a variety of medications and treatment options that can help manage the symptoms. Experts are still researching and developing stem cell therapy for MS, the type of treatment Blair mentioned. To use stem cells to manage more aggressive forms of MS, doctors will typically perform an autologous stem cell transplant, the Mayo Clinic says, meaning they'll take a patient's own stem cells and use them to replenish their bone marrow. This type of stem cell transplant is most commonly used in the treatment of conditions such as myeloma, Hodgin's lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the Mayo Clinic says.

Blair was first diagnosed with MS in 2018 after dealing with symptoms like falling, dropping things, chronic pain, and a foggy memory, she revealed in an Instagram post. At first, Blair said she attributed her symptoms to a pinched nerve, but received her diagnosis after undergoing an MRI.

She told the panel that, for the past few months, she's been feeling noticeably better. But she was reluctant to talk about her improvements publicly because she felt like she still needed to be more healed and more fixed, People reports. "I've accrued a lifetime of some baggage in the brain that still needs a little sorting out or accepting. That took me a minute to get to that acceptance. It doesn't look like this for everyone."

In grappling with her diagnosis, Blair has found that being open with how she's feeling and what her life looks like now have been helpfulfor herself and others. "To hear even just me showing up with a cane or sharing something that might be embarrassing, it was a key for a lot of people in finding comfort in themselves and that means everything to me," she said.

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Selma Blair Shares That Shes Now in Remission 3 Years After MS Diagnosis - Self

Third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to be offered to certain residents – Martins Ferry Times Leader

Coronavirus

Aug 18, 2021

WOODSFIELD Local health departments will offer a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised residents in an effort to help further protect those individuals from the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health announced a recommendation for a third dose of Moderna or Pfizer for immunocompromised individuals who have been fully vaccinated more than 28 days ago. Those who qualify include:

Individuals undergoing active treatment for cancer (solid tumor and hematologic malignancies);

Individuals who have received a solid-organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive therapy;

Individuals who have received a CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplant or taking immunosuppression therapy);

Individuals with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);

Individuals with advanced or untreated HIV infection;

Individuals undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., =20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

The Monroe County Health Department will hold a third dose clinic Aug. 26 at the health department in Woodsfield. Amanda Sefert, public information officer of the county health department, said the clinic will be by appointment only. For more information on whether a person may qualify or to make an appointment for the third dose, call 740-472-4299 and leave your name, number and birthdate.

She said a staff member will return the call to answer questions.

Sefert said the third dose is needed to help further build the immune system of immunocompromised people. According to the CDC, severely compromised immune systems do not always build the same level of immunity compared to people who are not immunocompromised. Receiving the third dose will help prevent those individuals from contracting the virus or lessen the symptoms if they do, she said.

The health department is also offering youth clinics for ages 12-17. With school set to begin soon, Sefert said they wanted to help ensure students have access to the vaccine. She said there has been a fairly positive response for the clinics and she is hoping for a good turnout. The next youth clinic is set for 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday at the health department, with another set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 27 at the EMS Pavilion during the county fair.

With the information from the delta variant coming out, I think more people are concerned, she added.

The Harrison County Health Department will offer third doses to residents who meet the qualifications and have received a recommendation from a doctor. Garen Rhome, administrator of the county health department, said there is only a small population who meet the qualifications so a clinic will not be necessary in his county.

What we want people to do is to get documentation from their providers. We just want to make sure they are part of that very select group that is currently recommended for the third dose of the series, so we want to know that their doctor recommends that they get it and then we can help them from there, he said.

To schedule an appointment for a third dose, call the health department at 740-942-2616.

Belmont County Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul said his department is planning a third dose specific clinic. He said they are still working on a day and location. The department is currently only administering first and second doses out of the health department office. The department frequently posts upcoming clinics on its Facebook page.

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