Jamie-Lynn Sigler, multiple sclerosis and the wisdom she's picked up along the way
Jamie-Lyyn Sigler had just started filming “The Sopranos” at 20 years old when she noticed numbness and tingling in her feet, as well as problems with bladder control, that worsened over time.
After undergoing an MRI and spinal tap, doctors gave Sigler, now 42, sobering news: she has relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS).
It’s a disease that occurs when your immune system attacks your central nervous system, disrupting the flow of information between the brain and the body, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Most people are diagnosed with RMS in their 20s and 30s, experiencing waves of symptom attacks followed by periods of reduced or no symptoms.
Young and scared during a time with little to no MS awareness, Sigler kept her diagnosis a secret, per advice from someone close to her at the time.
“There was panic that set in, fear and some immaturity, to be quite honest, so I just ignored it as I lived in denial,” Sigler told USA TODAY. “I was able to go some time being irresponsible until I really couldn’t anymore.”
It took Sigler 15 years to share her MS diagnosis with the world, in 2016.
“I just couldn’t imagine anybody wanting to hire me [because I had MS],” she said. “I ended up harboring these feelings of shame around it, which is terrible and never in a million years would I feel that way today, but I just couldn't help it.”
By the time she joined the cast of “Big Sky” in 2021, however, she felt confident enough to request the accommodations she always knew she needed, such as parking her trailer closer to set and having a chair nearby to rest in between takes.
“For a long time I was living with the idea that [my diagnosis meant] the end of my dreams, but fortunately I had enough beautiful people around me that encouraged and assured me that it wasn't, and I'm glad I listened to them,” Sigler said. “Through all the trials and tribulations, I found my voice and self-worth, and learned how to live the fullest life I could.”
'Just being human is hard'
Two decades ago when Sigler learned she had RMS, she didn’t have anyone to relate to, as the disease was rarely discussed publicly. But improvements in awareness have given people with MS a community to lean on. It’s estimated that nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are living with MS.
Sigler and actor Christina Applegate, who revealed she was diagnosed with MS in 2021, have found solace in one another. After two years of hours-long phone conversations filled with many laughs and cries, the pair started a podcast called MeSsy that premiered March 19.
“The podcast came from a beautiful friendship that blossomed from the two of us having this very unique experience, and realizing the beauty and strength that we were both finding from just getting the hard stuff out that we’ve kept inside for so long,” Sigler said.
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Each episode is an eavesdrop into their intimate conversations about how they’re feeling, Sigler said: “There’s no plan… we just answer honestly.” Their goal is to help people, even if they don’t have MS, to be their best, most authentic selves without feeling like they have to perform for others.
“Just being human is hard,” Sigler said. “Different things get us on the path to dealing with a lot of the same emotions and challenges — ours just happens to be MS.”
'You’ll be OK and life will go on'
These days, Sigler said MS mostly affects her gait. She can’t run anymore, which she said has been difficult to accept.
“It's hard to have lived in one body and then now live in another. But all that said, I do my best to take care of myself and my mental health, which has allowed me to accept my circumstances and make the small adjustments that I need.”
Three important steps have helped Sigler cope when things feel “extra hard or hopeless,” she said.
The first step is reflection, so “sitting with the hard stuff. As human beings, we like to push away the negative feelings, but I’ve learned to allow myself to feel grief for the life I thought I was going to live.”
Then Sigler tries to reframe what RMS means to her. “There has to be some acceptance around what I’m dealing with. I have these physical limitations, but I work on how I can continue to be a wife, mom and actress with this disease.”
Lastly, Sigler focuses on reaching out for help. “That was a game changer for me because it allowed me to find my voice, not only when it came to working on a set and having boundaries, but also realizing that I wasn't a burden.”
Meantime, Sigler said she pays attention to her body and what makes it feel good. Cold plunging has been a huge help, she said, as well as stretching and strength training.
“I like to feel strong and like I am doing the best I can to take care of my body,” Sigler said. “I still have a lot of dreams that I want to come true, and the adjustments I need aren’t going to stop me.”
Thinking back to her 20-year-old self, Sigler said she wished she could’ve told herself that “you’ll be OK and life will go on.”
“And I am OK,” she admitted. “We all deal with hard things, physical or not, but there’s still a lot of life ahead. I believe that with all my heart.”