Kristen Johnston Has Rare Autoimmune Disorder

Kristen Johnston turned to her Facebook account on Tuesday, Dec. 17, to tell her fans that she has been diagnosed with Lupus Myelitis after months of experiencing body weakness.

 "I've been really, really sick since early Sept. Full body muscle weakness to the extent that just walking difficult, stairs impossible and I even need a neck brace to hold my head up," Johnston wrote on her Facebook account. "Lying down I'm fine, which is great for writing or killing time on social media (thank you all!!), but it's kind of disasterous when you're in a sitcom that requires tons of physical comedy."

The Exes star continued to explain that she had to miss two episodes of the TV series. She also explained why: "This lucky lady spent 2 fun-filled weeks in November partying at The Mayo Clinic. Come on...Who's jealous?

"This is how, after 4 months & 17 Drs (no lie) I've FINALLY been diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disorder. Meaning my immune system has decided to go rogue & attack my muscles. The good news: I'm finally on the right treatment, feeling better & back at work!"

The star also gave thanks for the people who supported her during this difficult time. "I gotta say, TV Land and everyone at 'the exes' have been just amazing, all of them...so patient, understanding, loving & supportive. It's true that when you're sick, you find out who your real friends are, and these people, along with so many others, like.....Oh Crap. This is starting to sound like a dreadful acceptance speech, so I'll just say you know who you are. Thank you & I love you."

At first, Johnston did not reveal what autoimmune disorder she has. Many of her fans and individuals responded critically to her post. She then posted again with a response: "I'm not trying to be 'coy,' 'relevant' or 'get attention' -- I just was diagnosed 2 days ago with a rare form of Lupus called 'Lupus Myelitis' -- google it."

"I wonder how all those people leaving comments on gossip/entertainment/tv websites would feel in my shoes?" she asked. She only posted in order to explain her absences from the TV series.