Introducing, Selma Blair – A Review
As an older member of the Millennial Generation, I was well familiar with the work of Selma Blair. I saw Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde in theatre. I remember her “coming out” with MS in 2018. I was sad to hear that she was sick. I didn’t give it much thought again until I was facing my own likely-MS diagnosis, at which point I began following her on Instagram (@selmablair).
Selma Blair and Reese Witherspoon in 2001’s Legally Blonde
A documentary chronicling Selma’s hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) to treat her MS was recently released on Discovery+. Selma had tried other Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) unsuccessfully, and so opted for this extremely risky procedure in an effort to stop her disease progression. If you are interested in watching the documentary, you can sign up for a free one-week trial of Discovery+. When I heard about the documentary, I knew that I would watch it, but I also dreaded watching it because I knew that it would be hard for me to get through. On the Friday night that I took my 4th dose of Kesimpta, I curled up on the couch with my husband and decided to rip off the Band-Aid and watch it.
Introducing, Selma Blair was difficult for me to watch. Selma had a very rapid onset of MS disability. She has difficulty with her speech, and she requires assistive devices to walk. Seeing other MSers with more advanced disabilities than my own is always gutting to me. When my husband came with me to the MS Clinic for my spinal tap, he commented to me that he now understood why I was always so sad after my appointments. Sitting in that waiting room is hard. Seeing other MSers with more advanced disabilities than my own makes me wonder if I am looking at my future. Watching this documentary had a similar impact. As Selma struggled to form sentences, I had tears streaming down my cheeks, both out of sadness for her that she is struggling in this way, but also out of worry for myself that I may struggle in this way in the future. I am a member of a couple of MS groups on Facebook. One of the moderators of an MS group that I participate in has told me not to look at other patients as a crystal ball of what my disease course may look like. First, MS is different for everyone. Some people live almost completely normal lives with MS. Others become severely disabled in a matter of just a few years, as happened to Selma. Second, the DMTs that are on the market today simply weren’t available when MSers were diagnosed 5, 10, 15, 20+ years ago. How the disease developed for someone diagnosed a decade ago may be very different than how my disease develops, as I immediately hit it with an aggressive DMT that wasn’t available back then. Rationally, I know that all of this is true, and yet it is still hard not to look at MSers with more advanced disabilities with sadness mixed with fear.
Introducing, Selma Blair is a raw look at life with MS. Selma doesn’t attempt to pretty it up for the cameras. It is apparent that she wants viewers to see MS in gritty detail. MS is humbling, as many of the symptoms that it brings are embarrassing. Selma didn’t let embarrassment get in the way of showing the truth of this disease.
Selma Blair showing that assistive devices can be fashion accessories.
I was surprised to find how much I could relate to Selma. From the goofy ways that she plays and interacts with her son, to her self-deprecating sense of humour, to her negative self-talk, I felt like I was watching a kindred spirit.
I greatly appreciate Selma’s decision to use her larger platform to shine a spotlight on living with a disability, and MS specifically. I think that Selma is incredibly courageous and generous to have opened up her life and her disability to the world. For an actress to show the world that she now struggles to form sentences must have been discomfiting. Allowing cameras to document her swollen face and hair loss from treatment strikes me as incredibly brave, particularly for someone known for being a beautiful actress. In the documentary, Selma quips: “I never thought I’d be a disabled person that would help other disabled people”. This is exactly what she has become. I know that I am certainly helped by seeing her courage and her ability to maintain a positive disposition in the face of what appears insurmountable odds.
The goal of HSCT is to reset the immune system and stop the inflammation that contributes to MS. Selma had “autologous” HSCT or aHSCT, which used stem cells from her own body instead of using donor stem cells. Notably, aHSCT can’t repair damaged myelin. However, many who have gone through aHSCT regain some functioning that had been taken from them by MS. Selma’s frustration at not being instantly better following the procedure is relatable. Kesimpta, the DMT that I take, also can’t repair damaged myelin. However, there are anecdotal reports among the members of my Kesimpta MS Facebook group of optic neuritis resolving entirely after starting treatment. I remain in the land of cloud and fog, but I hope that I can join these anecdotal reports. I am frustrated that it hasn’t resolved my ongoing symptoms, even though the drug company made it abundantly clear not to expect this. I know that it is designed to prevent future attacks and not heal previous ones, but I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t have some expectation that it would bring me out of the land of cloud and fog. The HSCT has had its desired effect for Selma. She hasn’t had new lesions since undergoing it. However, she still lives with neurological damage.
Introducing, Selma Blair is a rough watch, and it should be. It is an unapologetically honest account of life with MS. However, it also comes packaged in hope. I recommend giving it a watch.
