When was Janice Dean diagnosed with MS? Fox News host taking a break from network due to health issues

Nearly two decades after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Fox News host and meteorologist Janice Dean shared that she's taking a break from work and social media for unspecified reasons. Janice was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis in 2005.

She announced the update in a Facebook post on November 13, explaining that she has "had some health issues that require rest and time to heal."

"My bosses at Fox have been kind and understanding, and I feel blessed to be able to take a break to be with my family. The trip to Rome with Sean was a good place to start healing spiritually, and now I have to get back to feeling healthy and strong," she wrote.

Janice continued:

"I've always been up front and honest about my life, and I felt I owed you an explanation of my absence. But, I will be back. Grateful to you all for the kind words. Much love, JD."

The comments on Janice's post were soon flooded with messages of support and prayers, with one user writing:

"Take all the time you need to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. Your heart and soul will tell you when to return."

"Take care of yourself, sometimes we have to stop, look around, listen to our inner voice, and see that we need to take time to reset ourselves," said another user.

"Take the time you need...Rest, relax, rewind, heal and gain back your strength. We are here cheering you on. Sending prayers of restoration," another user commented.

Meanwhile, other users shared their own stories of living with MS.

"I can understand, I have MS since 2014 when I turned 50. It has been a long learning curve but doing the best I can to go on with my life. You have been an inspiration and you take care of yourself," one user wrote.

In response to the supportive messages, Janice joined the comment section herself to thank everyone for their support.

"Reading all your comments and I am so grateful for the incredible kindness and support. You guys made me cry! (A good cry!) I promise to get lots of rest and take good care of myself. I appreciate all these beautiful words. Xo," wrote Janice.

"It was the shock of a lifetime": Janice Dean on MS diagnosis

Janice Dean received her MS diagnosis in 2005, when she underwent a series of tests, including an MRI and a spinal tap, prompted by unusual fatigue she experienced during a trip to Ottawa.

"I woke up one morning and literally couldn’t get out of bed. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Like I had this weighted blanket on me. I couldn’t feel the bottoms of my feet, and I also had this weird numbness in my thighs. I was like, ‘What is wrong with me?'" she told People Magazine in October 18, 2024.

Speaking about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, Dean said:

"It was the shock of a lifetime. I remember just feeling all of it was going to end: that my boyfriend was going to leave me, that I would be in a wheelchair, and I wouldn’t be able to do my job at Fox. All of my dreams kind of came crashing down."

She also wrote about her diagnosis in her 2019 memoir Mostly Sunny: How I Learned to Keep Smiling Through the Rainiest Days.

Janice, who joined FOX News Channel in January 2004 and serves as a senior meteorologist for the network, married Sean Newman in 2007 and later welcomed two sons, Matthew and Theodore.