Selma Blair stem cells transplant news!

The famous actress Selma Blain has just announced that her Multiple Sclerosis is now on remission following a Stem Cell transplant.

Selma Blair was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) back in 2018. A lot has been said inside the Multiple Sclerosis community about people under the spotlight that dared to disclosure their disease to the public.

Just a couple of days ago CNN’s John King revealed that he has Multiple Sclerosis on live TV. It was shocking to say the least. His experience with the disease and the Covid-19 ordeal resonated with me in so many ways. I’m one of those too, immunocompromised and silently wearing my mask every single day.

Why I feel this information is a true game changer? I'm a patient too, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 10 years ago, it has been quite a ride, with all the ups and downs of being someone living with a chronic illness.

I remember when Jack Osbourne shared his MS diagnosis. It was 2012, almost 2 years after mine. He was asking the same questions I was asking, he was trying to make sense of this havoc just like me. He did a wonderful job on using social media to bring awareness and exposure on this vile life-long companion of ours.

I try my best to keep this monster at bay, but I need your help too. Is not that difficult, vaccinate and wear your mask in public. Think of others like John King and I that need extra protection.

Multiple Sclerosis is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. It makes the immune system attack the myelin surrounding the nerves, creating a miscommunication between nerves. Eventually, the disease will cause irreversible damage or deterioration of the nerves.

Blair had a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A non-so-simple procedure were Doctors take stem cells from the bone marrow or blood from the person with MS and stored them. Then Chemotherapy is introduced to eradicate the damaged immune cells. After that, they reintroduce the stem cells as a way to restart the immune system.

She said, “It took about a year after the stem cell transplantation for the inflammation and lesions to really go down, so I was reluctant to talk about it because I fell this need to be more healed.”

This new procedure has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been recommended to people who meet very specific criteria. Until now, it has not been considered as a first-line treatment for people living with this dreadful disease. It has been reserved for people with a highly active Relapsing-Remitting MS that didn’t respond well to any disease modifying treatment.

It has been openly advised that anyone interested in following this breakthrough therapy to consult to their respective health care team to seriously evaluate if he or she could be a good candidate for it.

This treatment is new and as such, it can carry a myriad of side effects and outcomes can be simply unpredictable. Regardless of whether the stem cells are your own (autologous stem cell transplant) or sourced from a donor, this procedure requires the continuous use of immunosuppressive drugs to ensure that your body does not reject the transplant. Pitifully a compromised immune system could bring other potential life-threatening risks

Blair continued, “There’s still maintenance, treatment and glitches, and wonderful things.” Selma addressed the audience about her current state, “Cognitively, I’m very changed and that’s been the hardest part.”

Blair used Instagram to update her followers about her Stem cell transplant on social media. She posted a picture of herself on May 2020 inside the hospital to explain that she had to be isolated from her son during the stem cell treatment.

She is currently working on the promotion of a documentary that will debut on Oct 2021 called, "Introducing, Selma Blair."

Is this a permanent solution? Only time will tell.