Selma Blair powerfully shared what she learned from isolating after her stem-cell treatment

On Friday, May 22nd, Selma Blair posted a candid picture to Instagram and explained how her time in self-isolation in summer 2019 taught her how to adjust to new and unsettling circumstances—similar to those most of us are now experiencing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Last year, Blair underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in an attempt to slow the progression of her multiple sclerosis (MS), with which she was diagnosed in 2018. Because those who receive HSCT often experience similar side effects to those who undergo chemotherapy, Blair shaved her head in anticipation of hair loss and was forced to self-isolate to protect her weakened immune system.

“When I was in isolation this summer, I imagined peace. In all ways,” she wrote in her May 22nd post. “A reckoning. An understanding. Of time alone. Of the help I was asking for. For my son. I could not be with him. I held this #frownyfacedolls of my son.” The actor has an 8-year-old son named Arthur.

Blair continued, “I acknowledged it’s normal to not always have a smile. But I learned to Smile. For real. And I thank you all for your support. And kindness.”

“I am here,” Blair wrote. “I am adjusting. And I have hope we can all adjust. And give care to all who need in your life.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAf-EuZHC1n

The finished her post by thanking all of the nurses on Dr. Burt’s stem cell transplant team at Northwestern Medicine, which has since closed its doors.

Blair recently told Miley Cyrus on Cyrus’s Instagram Live talk show “Bright Minded,” that the social-distancing guidelines currently in place around the globe are not so different from the ones she’s lived by for the past two years. In fact, she’s grateful for this time because her son is now home with her all day and they get to spend more time together.

“There’s just nothing that gets me mad for long anymore, and it hasn’t for a couple of years,” she told Cyrus.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7l-njHqMR

We can all learn a lot from Blair’s words on self-isolation. It’s okay to not have a smile on your face all the time, but we can try to take everything one day at a time and find gratitude for what we do have in the moment.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, HelloGiggles is committed to providing accurate and helpful coverage to our readers. As such, some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, we encourage you to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments, and visit our coronavirus hub.