Anyone who has dealt with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis or watched a loved one go through it can attest to how maddening the symptoms can be. In addition to unexpected pain and flares, sometimes the body simply will not "cooperate," and there's this sensation of a body part, like an arm or a leg, having a mind of its own.
Actress Christina Applegate has been open about her diagnosis and how it's transformed her daily life, her acting career, and of course, her relationship with her body.
With some days being better than others, Applegate has found ways to cope during the hard times, and Applegate being Applegate, she has largely turned to humor as a coping mechanism.
While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, she opened up about naming her various body parts that had a tendency to flare up and act out. When they refuse to cooperate, she basically scolds them, which helps with her symptoms—or at least makes her feel better in the moment.
Before sharing the names, Applegate pointed out:
"By the way, this is not, like, derogatory to any of the people that I'm saying it about, because one of them is very famous."
Applegate then introduced both of her hands:
"This [right] is Barbara. Barbara is married to Stanley [left]."
"...Barbara's gay. She has a friend that she lives with."
When Kimmel asked if Stanley knew about the arrangement, Applegate kept it lighthearted.
"He does, but he loves her. They're good, okay?"
Then Applegate held her right knee with both of her hands and said:
"And here we have Meghan Markle."
"And that's not a bad thing. It's like, 'Meghan, thank you. Thank you.'"
Applegate then said her left knee was named for Tootie from Facts of Life, who was good-natured but also mischievous and known to do what she wanted, on her own terms.
Kimmel was infinitely curious about Applegate's naming system.
"Do you talk to Barbara, Stanley, Meghan, and Tootie?"
Applegate gave a resounding yes.
"Yes, yes, completely! Because when they get weird, we yell at them and say, 'Hey, man! Stop it!'"
When Kimmel asked if it helped, Applegate was honest.
"It actually does, yes. Because it's a brain disorder, so it kind of stops it. It's weird!"
"I'm freaking brilliant."
You can watch the segment here:
The comments were full of compliments on Applegate and her coping skills.
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
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@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
@jimmykimmellive/Instagram; @christinaapplegate/Instagram
You can watch Applegate and Kimmel's full conversation here:
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Though MS is a devastating diagnosis to deal with, Applegate is doing the best thing possible: keeping her spirits high and staying positive by giving herself reasons to laugh.
Even if the Duchess of Sussex doesn't love the idea of having Applegate's knee, the actress seems to have found something that's working for her.
