It began as a faint discomfort — the kind you blame on jet lag, bad sleep, or too many hours in a cramped airplane seat.
But by the time Christina Applegate’s flight from Europe touched down in Los Angeles, the ache had sharpened into something darker, more urgent. Within hours, the Married… With Children star was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to IV lines, her body gripped by a pain so sharp it made her cry out.
Applegate, 53, shared the ordeal from that very bed during the August 5 episode of her MeSsy podcast with co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, her voice alternating between wry humor and exhaustion. What began overseas as a nagging discomfort had, in less than 48 hours, turned into a full-blown kidney infection — and not just in one kidney, but both.
The trouble started while visiting family in Europe. By the time she boarded her return flight, she already knew she’d be going straight to the hospital. “I told them, I want to be admitted,” she recalled. “I want every possible test — even ones you haven’t thought of — and I want them done.”
That determination turned out to be prescient. The morning after arriving, pain exploded along her right side, radiating into her abdomen. “So much pain. I’m screaming,” she said. A CT scan in the early hours confirmed a kidney infection. By the next day, it had spread to her left kidney as well.
Now on a regimen of powerful intravenous antibiotics, Applegate plans to remain hospitalized until the infection is completely resolved. Doctors initially suspected a urinary tract infection — even questioning her hygiene habits, a suggestion she batted away with trademark bluntness. “I’m 53. I’ve got the cleanest vagina. I’m a clean girl down yonder,” she joked.
But beneath the humor was an admission of vulnerability. “I’m holding in a bag of tears right now,” she confessed. “Sometimes I just fall into the nurse’s arms crying.”
Conclusion
Christina Applegate’s latest health battle is yet another chapter in a life already marked by resilience — from her ongoing fight with multiple sclerosis to the emotional toll of chronic illness. This time, the danger came quickly and without warning, reminding her — and her listeners — that strength sometimes means admitting fear, asking for help, and fighting through the pain until relief finally comes.