Jul 24, 2019 at 8:49 pm

Selma Blair Opens Up About Living With MS, Reveals Coping Method in Bathtub Photo

Selma Blair is getting candid about living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The 47-year-old After actress was diagnosed with the chronic neurological disease last year.

Selma discussed how the disease has affected her life with her 8-year-old son Arthur, whom she co-parents with her ex Jason Bleick.

“[Arthur's] had to endure a lot; he’s seen a lot,” Selma told People. “He says, ‘Mommy’s not sick. Mommy’s brave.’”

“He said, ‘I love when you come to school because you make the kids laugh and you answer all their questions,’” Selma Blair continued, sharing that she’s had to explain to the other students why she “walks and talks funny.”

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“I explain what’s happening and that my voice doesn’t hurt, and we have really decent exchanges,” she added. “I had no idea Arthur was proud of that. I thought ‘I’m probably an embarrassment,’ but to know I’m not was one of my proudest moments.”

“We play dodge ball, but I don’t dodge because that could be so dangerous,” she said. “Maybe in the future for sure, but I don’t move side to side perfectly, and so I get to just hit him and then he throws it back to me, really chivalrously. And then I get to hit him again, and he thinks it’s amazing. … It’s fun and it feels good to him. To me too.”

“We have a flexible custody arrangement and Jason is a huge part of Arthur’s life,” Selma shared. “He’s shown up in a big way. I’m really proud of us.”

“This is it,” Selma told the outlet. “The only life we get. My disease isn’t a tragedy, but I tell myself, ‘You’re going to live in a way that would be an example for yourself and your son.’”

See Selma Blair‘s recent Instagram post below, in which she shows off one of the ways she copes with MS.

View this post on Instagram

So. I spin the wheel again. the Rolodex of selfies. I stop on a pic a friend took of me trying to stop spasms by lying in warm water with a heavy towel with minerals in bath. Specific minerals. I recall posting this at the time and kind of being made fun of by some news outlets. My skin wasn’t as tough yet. And I took the picture down. The thing is, the heavy towel helped. My body would go into a kind of palsy . I was embarrassed and tried to turn them into mouth clicks instead. But the energy had to go somewhere. The therapist recommended towels over me. It helped. She said it really helps her autistic patients. So I wanted to share. A warm bath with towels and a space heater in bathroom so water doesn’t have to be so hot. We are in this together. I don’t mind being ridiculed a bit anymore. We do what we need to do. #towelbath. #missoni. 🛀🏼

A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jul 23, 2019 at 5:56am PDT