Though best known for her role as Meadow Soprano in television’s The SopranosJamie-Lynn Sigler has since focused on her podcasting career. She currently co-hosts Not Today, Pal with fellow Sopranos alum Robert Iler, as well as the MeSsy podcast with Christina Applegate. In the latter, Applegate and Sigler open up about living with multiple sclerosis (MS) to connect with listeners that may be facing similar conditions in their daily lives.
In this exclusive interview with Sigler, we talk more about how she has managed her relapsing MS (RMS) over the past two decades, including misconceptions she wishes more people knew. Plus, learn more about the three-step guide she developed with Novartisher favorite easy dinner formula and what she admires about Applegate below.
Do you have any go-to meals that are both delicious and help you feel your best?
I’m always trying to think about what’s easy, especially dinner time because by the time I’m getting around to 4:35, I’m pretty tired. I had a full day and for somebody that’s living with RMS, I like to always equate my days to a gas tank. I have to pick what I’m using my gas for each day, and so I really like to give my kids a nutritious meal that’s not too intricate. Crockpot chicken or beef, throwing something in early in the afternoon with some seasonings, chicken broth, whatever it may be. And then throwing some rice in my rice cooker, that tends to be our dinner three or four times a week with roasted vegetables. It’s easy, it’s quick, it’s nutritious and I always feel better. Having a nutritious meal ready from earlier in the day stops me from making poor choices at night.
How are you able to continue to prioritize your health and manage your RMS symptoms, even when that’s not top of mind during the holiday season? Any routines that you stick by?
I think it’s really hard this time of year to prioritize your health and yourself because you want to show up to every party and you want to show up for every family member or friend. I’ve really found that that’s impossible for me. I burn out quickly, and then I don’t enjoy the things that I normally would. So a lot of it for me is prioritizing the events and moments that are the most important, usually that revolve around my children and their experience. There’s certain things that my kids really love, like in Austin, there’s this thing called the Trail of Lights and they transform all of Zilker Park into this huge walkway with these beautiful light installations. That’s a big night out, it’s a lot of walking, it’s a lot of stuff for somebody that lives with MS. They know that it can be really intimidating, so I found a wagon that I can lean on and even jump in and my kids can push me around if I’m getting tired. Those are experiences that are important to them, and therefore important to me.
Also, people love to be of service and love to help. Delegate responsibilities to loved ones and friends. I’m somebody who would have by nature, loved to do everything alone. But I think MS has been a real sobering catalyst for me to change those ways. I’m actually really grateful for it because it’s really deepened a lot of my relationships with other people. I don’t think as human beings we can get through anything alone.
Since starting the MeSsy podcast with Christina Applegate this year, how helpful has it been to have constant conversation with her and others living with MS? What’s something you’ve learned since starting the podcast?
Christina and I are in very different places in our MS journeys, and also our reactions to things are very different. We’re different people, we come from different places and different families. And I’ve always admired her unapologetic anger about it, her frustration and her being able to really voice those feelings and let them out. I didn’t realize that I have never given myself an opportunity to let those types of feelings out. I also had every right to feel that way sometimes, because I tend to be somebody that always wants to be positive and see the light. I appreciate that about myself and want to continue that, but it’s also important to honor the not-so-great feelings as well because they’re just as real. She’s really allowed me to release my shame and release my fear around feeling those things. It’s allowed me to in turn be more honest and more vulnerable.
It’s been such a beautiful exercise in connection and the people that are listening may not necessarily have MS, but they’re finding it to be very universal. Despite the specificity of what we’re talking about in our experience, as human beings, we’re all faced with a disability, whether it’s physical, mental or family. I think that this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life because to make other people feel seen and heard by just speaking our truth has been incredibly rewarding and something that she and I just feel really connected with and passionate about.
What’s a common misconception about MS/RMS that you wish more people knew the truth about?
First of all, it’s different for everybody. Everybody has a different, very unique experience, their bodies react differently. Sometimes people can have great days, weeks, months and then out of nowhere they don’t feel well and can barely get out of bed. Believe people with what they’re saying they feel. I think it can be very frustrating when people say, “But you look so healthy!” I’ve had people look at me and be like, “You don’t look sick, you don’t look like anything’s wrong,” and I can appreciate the intent, but at the same time, I think people have to honor that invisible diseases exist. They can be just as difficult whether you see them or not.
I found what really helps me is people being really inquisitive about it. It really helps when people ask specific questions and when they really want to understand and want to know, because having a chronic illness can be very isolating. You can feel like nobody gets it, nobody understands you and nobody can really, deeply understand what you’re going through. So I always appreciate it when I have friends or family members that ask a lot of questions. Don’t shy away from that, I think it’s a really great way for somebody to feel heard and understood.
Could you talk more about your partnership with Novartis and why it’s a good fit?
I have been living with MS for more than 23 years. I’ve had a lot of experience with it. The first 14 of those years, I kept it a secret, which was an intense experience, so now living with it as publicly as I do has allowed me to find ways to figure out how best to manage it. With Novartis, we collaborated on this three-step guide, which can be found at reframingms.com. The guide outlines a process for reflecting, reframing and reaching out. People living with RMS, or anything, can find a way to voice their needs and continue to reach for what’s possible wherever they are on their journey.
What does “eating well” mean to you?
I’m a big juicer. I can’t eat a lot of my greens—it’s just a lot—so juicing and getting one or two green juices in the day has been really helpful for me. And water. I’m the worst at drinking water, but I always know when I do drink it, I feel a lot better.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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