In 2002,Jamie-Lynn Siglers career was ascending fast.
Sigler is super candid about her symptoms today.
SELF: On the day you were diagnosed, you went to the hospital because your leg felt weak.
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What was going through your head in those initial moments after learning what was actually going on?
you’re free to have childrenyou can still be an actress.
I didnt know any young people with it.
I lived in a state of denial.
I was very immature, but I was just doing the best I could in that moment.
I felt like if I didnt talk about my MS, it wasnt real.
Did you feel like revealing your MS might negatively impact your career or personal life?
I had such imposter syndrome onTheSopranos,but I was also a perfectionist.
I thought I would be fired if I told people around me that I had MS.
I thought I would never get hired.
Was there a turning point in which you felt like you just couldnt hide your symptoms anymore?
I had many jobs where I just kept lying.
But concealing what I was going through took all the joy out of work.
I was also depressed and scared as a new mom.
In 2018, you decided to step back from work.
How did that feel?
I dont think I really grasped the gravity of that decision.
It was just one I HAD to make in that moment because I just couldnt take it anymore.
I had never thought too far into the future.
I had to sit with those hard feelings that I pushed away for a really long time.
I sat with my griefthegrief for the life I thought I was going to live.
I told myself, This is my life.
I dont know what the future holds, but this is it.
Sitting with those thoughts helped me accept my situation.
I also had to reframe my thinking: So, okay, I walk with a limp.
I live with MS. What was it like when you finally opened up to friends and coworkers?
When I reached out to my girlfriends about my MS and told them, their support was overwhelming.
They were like, Thank you, Jamie.
Were here for you!
There was never a single discussion beyond that.
I was shown the most love and support from my coworkers.
They kept reminding me, This is not a burden.
This is no extra accommodation were having to make.
It allowed me to find the joy in acting again.
Were there any other ways that speaking openly changed your life for the better?
It gave me confidence in finding my voice.
What would you say to someone who has just found out they have MS?
I always say yes.
From the bottom of my heart, the first thing I say is, Youre going to be okay.
I dont know how this is going to affect your body.
And I believe that because I am.
I truly am okay.
It makes me look around more.
But thats allowed for a deeper connection between us.
People who have been touched by this disease are, without fail, the strongest people I knowhands down.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
