Battling a Health Challenge With a Pet
- Actress Selma Blair says her service dog Scout has become her “village” of support in managing Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
- Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.
- Currently, there is no cure for MS, although some people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs. Often difficult to diagnose, it is important to relay any lingering neurological symptoms to your doctor, and it might be helpful to keep a daily journal of anything you are experiencing to help expedite a potential diagnosis.
- Blair, who has been in MS remission since 2021, has used chemotherapy, a common treatment for cancer, to treat her condition. She has also undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which involves taking stem cells from the bone marrow or blood, wiping the immune system clean with intensive chemotherapy, and then reintroducing the cells to rebuild a new immune system.
- Finding comfort in family pets while coping with MS, grief, or even a cancer diagnosis is a fairly common experience. Experts note that therapy dogs can offer meaningful emotional support for people navigating loss or undergoing treatment.
Selma Blair is crediting her beloved service dog, an English red fox Labrador named Scout, as her “village” of support while living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic condition she is managing.
Blair, who received her diagnosis in 2018, has expressed how “fortunate” she feels to have Scout by her side since 2021. Read MoreView this post on Instagram
She carried on, “I don’t have family, I didn’t have friends around me, but I forged friendships through the kindness of strangers on social media, of all things, and my dog.
“My dog helps me with so many things, and it’s kind of my love language for people. It’s an icebreaker, and it feels really great to have him by my side. It’s the support I needed.”
Blair, who has been in MS remission since 2021, has used chemotherapy, a common treatment for cancer, to treat her condition. She has also undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which involves taking stem cells from the bone marrow or blood, wiping the immune system clean with intense chemotherapy, then reintroducing the cells to grow a new immune system.
As for the journey that led her to being relapse-free, she admitted, “It’s been a few years of really searching for the right doctor and the right management of my MS, and it’s been a long time, it felt like.
“But finally this past year, about a year, it’s really settled in where the stamina is built after I had found the right management with a new doctor, truly. And so, now that I’m getting so much stronger, it is like I am so happy and grateful.”
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Blair noted that although she’s doing better, she still experiences lingering symptoms like fatigue and occasional “glitches,” but overall her condition is much less disruptive and manageable.
Remember, there is no cure for MS, but MS warriors battling the disease, like Blair, do have methods to manage their symptoms.
Common tools MS patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces, and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).
A study in American Family Physician found DMTs “has been shown to slow disease progression and disability; options include injectable agents, infusions, and oral medications targeting different sites in the inflammatory pathway.”
While chemotherapy is widely known as a cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells, it is also effective at slowing down or stopping disease activity in MS. Blair previously underwent chemotherapy as part of her treatment.
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Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.
Once the protective barrier is damaged, the spinal cord struggles to send messages to the arms, legs, and other parts of the body to function normally.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society outlines the different types of multiple sclerosis:
- Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS): This is when an individual experiences a single neurological episode lasting 24 hours or less. CIS is what MS is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
- Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common MS among the million people battling the disease in the US, RRMS is marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
- Primary progressive MS (PPMS): These individuals have no flare-ups or remission, just a steady decline with progressively worse symptoms and an increasing loss of cognitive and body functions.
- Secondary progressive MS (SPMS): This is an almost transitional form of MS that progresses from RRMS to PPMS.
In addition to balance issues, numbness, and tingling in the limbs, other common MS symptoms include vision and bladder control problems. Mood changes and mental and physical fatigue are other symptoms people living with MS may experience, according to the National Institute of Health.
How Can Dogs Help?
Anecdotal evidence from SurvivorNet’s experts says that having a positive mood through a health battle can benefit treatment. Also, scientific evidence around depression and cancer shows that treating depression positively impacts cancer treatment. This is where help from cancer therapy dogs can play a tremendous role. However, for more severe cases of anxiety and depression, speak to a psychologist before pursuing treatment or support from a furry friend.
Jane Kopelman, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and owner of All About Dogs, said during a previous interview that the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Caring Canine Program was hoping to get more pups involved in the program because patients request them so often.
A ‘Plum’ Assignment: Therapy Dog From Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
“What most patients say, and studies have proven, is that the dogs reduce anxiety, reduce depression, and they give people a sense of hope; they often motivate people,” Kopelman said. “Patients have said that they were so eager to have the dogs come that it motivated them to get up.”
The dogs can visit patients who are in the hospital after undergoing surgery, and also visit outpatient locations where patients may be undergoing treatment like chemotherapy.
If you’re interested in pursuing a cancer therapy dog, speak with your doctor about the following steps, or an oncological social worker or organizations to connect with that train these types of dogs. Note that waiting lists for service dogs are often long, and their training period is a lengthy process, as well, so time is of the essence if you wish to get a service dog.
Richard Marks Talks About Pet Therapy
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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