Emma Caulfield Reveals Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis: 'I Just Have to Keep Going'

Emma Caulfield has revealed that she is living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum, 49, opened up about the diagnosis for the first time and discussed why she decided to keep her health struggles a secret for more than a decade.

Caulfield said she was diagnosed in 2010 after getting an MRI for a strange numbness in the left side of her face.

"I had a missed call from the doctor's office, so I called back… And he was like: 'You have MS,' Caulfield recalled to the outlet.

"It was like an out-of-body experience. I'm like, 'No, that's not possible. What are you talking about?' He was very matter of fact about it. 'Well, you can get a second opinion…' It was literally a kind of nightmare," she explained. "I was like, 'Am I dying? How bad? What's happening?' I was so overwhelmed and pretty hysterical."

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord — and can cause problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling and thinking. Symptoms include: numbness, tremor or lack of coordination.

MS differs in each case, with some people going through life with only minor problems and others becoming seriously disabled.

Caulfield said she initially hid her diagnosis because she "didn't want to give anyone the opportunity to not hire me."

"There are already plenty of reasons to not hire people, reasons most actors don't even know. 'You look like my ex-girlfriend … You're too short. You're too tall. You look mean. You look too nice. You don't have the right color eyes.' I knew in my bones that if you talk about this, you're just going to stop working. That's it," she said.

The WandaVision star told the outlet that she's now ready to share her story because she no longer wants to hide her MS from her 6-year-old daughter, whom she shares with husband Mark Leslie Ford.

"I'm so tired of not being honest," she said. "And beyond that, my daughter has changed my perspective, as I think anybody who is a parent can attest. I know that she has a 30% greater chance of coming down with this, just luck of the draw for her. She's six. She's just started first grade …. It got me thinking about her and how full of joy and active she is, and she's just such a remarkable little creature."

"I'm not actually doing everything I can for her because I have my mouth shut," Caulfield admitted. "If I have a platform at all, I should be using it. Even if it affects my ability to get work …. It's better for me to at least be vocal about this and be out there to try to help the MS Foundation and other groups who are doing research."

The actress assured that she's "okay right now" in her MS journey. Caulfield added, "It's a weird thing to say when you're given a diagnosis like that, but truthfully, my attitude is not crumbling under the fear of "what if" or "what can," or "what has" for other people. I just have to keep going."