My heart goes out to Christina Applegate. After five years of believing she had MS, I read yesterday that she’s now been told she was misdiagnosed. But her symptoms haven’t disappeared — she’s still struggling, only now she doesn’t know why.

Twenty years ago, we were there. Watching symptoms, taking tests, going from doctor to doctor and waiting for answers. It’s like a holding pattern – waiting to land and not knowing where you are headed and what to expect.

I was thinking about her and the frustration and worry she must be feeling and then my mind went somewhere unexpected.

Could she have ALD?

Women with ALD can experience neurological symptoms that resemble MS, including symptoms she’s shared like difficulty walking, balance problems, and muscle stiffness. Some women spend years searching for answers or receive an incorrect diagnosis – MS being top of the list.

Of course, I know absolutely nothing about Christina Applegate’s medical history, and I’m certainly not suggesting that she has ALD. But I can’t help wondering whether our rare (NOT so rare) disease has been considered.

Mostly, my heart breaks for her. Imagine finally having a name for what’s happening to your body, learning to live with that diagnosis, and then having the rug pulled out from under you. The symptoms are still there, but the explanation and potential treatments are gone. If there’s one thing us ALD folks understand, it’s the exhausting journey of searching for answers.

Christina, I’m rooting for you. I hope you find the answers, support, and peace you deserve!

And maybe, just maybe, stories like yours will remind the medical community to look beyond the obvious and consider the rare — Because sometimes rare isn’t as rare as we think!

Love, Jess