Soon after she got married to baseball player Cutter Dykstra, 34-year-old Jamie-Lynn Sigler admitted that she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has actually been living with the disease for more than a decade now.

The "Sopranos" actress, who played Tony Soprano's daughter Meadow on the TV series, said that despite battling the disease for the past 14 years, she only felt ready to tell the world about it now and that it was still a fact that was hard for her to accept.

"You'd think that after all these years, somebody would be settled with something like this, but it's still hard to accept," she told People in an interview.

"I'm at a point in my life with my son, with my new marriage, it's a new me. I don't want to hold a secret where it feels like I have something to be ashamed of or have something to hide," she added. "It's part of me, but it's not who I am."

She also explained that, for her, the revelation was also important for her son, 2-year-old Beau, as it would keep him from feeling as if he had to keep the illness a secret for her own sake when he comes of age.

"I wanted to be an example to him of strength and courage," she said.

She also revealed that the symptoms of MS, which targets the central nervous system, did not manifest right away. However, in the past decade, it had begun to affect her life in a significant way.

The newlywed revealed how she could not walk for a long period without having to rest, although giving herself five to 10 minutes to recharge herself is usually enough for her to get up and continue moving, as per Today. However, she has to "think about every single step" when she walks -- something that she found "annoying and frustrating."

Further, she said she also cannot run and that she finds going up stairs difficult, albeit doable.

Sigler said that she did tell her "Sopranos" castmates about her condition as she felt they were close to her like her own family. However, it was challenging for her to cover up her MS in the roles she took after completing her stint on the show. In order not to give away her condition, she had to avoid asking for breaks while working on set.

Currently, she takes medication to help manage the symptoms. Sigler noted that her condition is manageable now and that a "fighting attitude" is what it takes to continue living a good life despite the presence of MS, according to USA Today.

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