Getty "Teen Mom 2" star Jenelle Evans faced backlash after she talked about a visit with her neurosurgeon.
“Teen Mom 2” star Jenelle Evans faced backlash after she talked about a visit with her neurosurgeon. The North Carolina native shared a TikTok about her health condition, Syringomyelia, and said she feared being handicapped.
Evans has a fluid-filled cyst (syrinx) in her spinal cord, which can cause pain, headaches, and muscle weakness, according to the Mayo Clinic.
She captioned the video “Checkup with my neurosurgeon” and used the song “High Enough” by K. Flay as background music. Part of the lyrics say, “I don’t need drugs, because I’m already high enough.”
In the video, she lifts up her fists and pretends to scream and added the following: “When you already have a growing cyst in your spine… and the doctor says, ‘Can’t help you. When you become paralyzed go to the ER.'”
Evans Said She Was ‘Terrified’
Evans, 29, interacted with her fans in the comment section.
“Do any of you have syrinx? How do you feel? What does your doctor say about? My anxiety has been so bad lately,” the mother-of-three wrote.
One viewer said Evans might not have to worry about paralysis. “Most doctors probably have to be cautious when treating because of your past addictions, but also, paralysis from a cyst on your spine is rare,” they said.
But the comment didn’t assuage the “Teen Mom 2″ star’s fears. “Well my cyst keeps growing and I have hemangiomatas [sic] on my vertebrae now that weren’t there six months ago,” Evans answered. The MTV personality might have been referring to spinal hemangiomas, which are usually asymptomatic and benign.
One follower said Evans’ doctor gave her the “scariest” news. “And it’s like I”m just waiting for the day I can’t go outside and play with my children…” they said.
“EXACTLY,” the former MTV personality wrote back. “or drive my car. Making everything handicapped in my house. I’m terrified.”
Reddit Users Slammed Evans, & Said She’s ‘Faking’
While Evans generated some sympathy on TikTok, fans on Reddit had a different interpretation of the social media influencer’s latest health update.
“We all know jenelle is faking this shit. She isn’t making anyone but herself look bad,” one person said.
“I have terrible second hand embarrassment for Jenelle here,” another added. “By early after she’s going to be shaking her ass on TikTok having forgotten she was hoping oh I mean preparing to be handicapped.”
“She is totally and completely ridiculous and is seriously the most desperate for attention drama queen,” a third social media user claimed.
In March 2021, Evans made a video called “My Neck, My Back,” where she confirmed she was diagnosed with syringomyelia.
“I have neck pain every day and headaches every day and my neck cracks every day,” she said around the 12-minute mark of the video. “I do what I can. By this time, at 5 o’clock, I usually have to tap out because my neck hurts so bad. I try to get up and be happy and act like I don’t have this problem.”
“I have head shaking too, it’s kind of embarrassing, it feels like a tremor. My hands are not that steady and my fingertips are numb most of the time,” she continued. “It’s kind of scary. I feel like slowly I’m losing my ability in my hands and I really need that. I really need my hands!”
Evans added it was like the “worst thing ever” when she got her results.