Selma Blair had to "make [her] plans for death" when going through chemotherapy for her multiple sclerosis (MS).
Selma Blair
The 'Cruel Intentions' star was diagnosed with MS - which is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves - almost a year ago, and has now opened up about her treatment process, which saw her undergo an "aggressive" course of chemotherapy.
She explained: "The disease modifiers did not work for me at the time, and I was really declining more rapidly than I found acceptable.
"I had no intention of doing [chemotherapy], I was like, I'm not ruining my body, what's left of it. Why would I put this horrible drug, chemotherapy, in me? I don't have cancer. But I was kind of out of options and I was looking."
Selma, 47, was given a "microdose" of chemotherapy before her stem cell transplant, and found she "immediately felt some relief".
The dose convinced Selma to go through with the treatment, but she was "warned" about the dangers that could have resulted in her death.
She said: "I was warned. You kind of make your plans for death, [and] I told my son I was doing this and he said he wanted me cremated. I had more chemo than they usually do for cancer patients, because they almost kill you. And it's the stem cell that allows you to live with that amount of chemo. The chemo is the MS cure, if it does in fact happen."
The 'After' actress is still recovering from her treatment, but says it "went pretty smoothly" overall.
Speaking during a panel at the TIME 100 Health Summit in New York City on Thursday (17.10.19), she added: "I haven't talked about it much yet because I wanted to show everyone that the proof is in the pudding, but my pudding is still kind of scrambled. I don't want to scare people away."
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