Actor Michael J. Fox has had a number of injuries as a result of his Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 1991 at the age of 29, the actor revealed in an interview with Variety this week.
The 61-year-old “Back to the Future” star has opened up about his battle with the disease, explaining the injuries he sustained from losing his balance.
The neurological disorder causes unintentional stiffness, shaking, and difficulty with coordination, and gets worse over time, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“I broke that shoulder – it was replaced. I broke that elbow. I broke this hand. I had an infection that almost cost me this finger. I broke my face. I broke this humerus,” Fox told Variety.
Fox said it has been difficult to manage his illness over the years, during which he has suffered other personal losses and mental struggles, in addition to actually treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
“I have helpers around me for a long time in case I fall, and that lack of privacy is hard to deal with,” he said in the interview. “I lost my family, I lost my dog, I lost my freedom, I lost health. I hesitate to use the term ‘depression’, because I am not qualified to diagnose myself, but all the signs were there.”
While it hasn’t been easy, the “Family Ties” star said he found comfort in the support of his family, who have been helping him overcome his health issues.
“I just enjoy the little math problems of existence,” said the actor. “I love waking up and discovering these things and being at the same time with my family.”
He has reached a point where he accepts the effects of the debilitating disease on his body.
Fox said, “My problem is that I fall. I trip over things and I fall and damage things. That’s part of having this.” “But I hope so, and I feel like it, I won’t break a lot of bones tomorrow. So that’s hopeful.”
Fox also talked about his experiences recently Interview with CBS “Sunday Morning” Where he thought about the duration of his life with Parkinson’s disease.
He said, “It’s been over 30 years; not many of us had this disease in 30 years.” “It sucks having Parkinson’s disease.”
Since announcing his disease in 1998, Fox has worked hard to raise money for Parkinson’s disease, a disease he learned is underfunded to advance research and treatment. The nonprofit Michael J. Fox Foundation, founded in 2000, antiquities More than $1.5 billion for Parkinson’s disease research, according to its website.
Parkinson’s disease affects about 500,000 Americans, according to the National Institutes of HealthHowever, some experts estimate that as many as 1 million Americans may have the disease, because it often goes undiagnosed.
Fox retired from acting in 2020 due to struggling with learning and acting lines as a result of the illness, but he is soon appearing in a new documentary about his life, “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which details his successful career, his sobriety journey, and his battle with illness. Parkinson’s, and his determined spirit to continue living on his own terms despite symptoms of the disease that impede his mobility.
“No matter how much I sit here talking to you about how I accepted it philosophically and taking his weight, Parkinson’s disease is still kicking my ass. I’m not going to win this. I’m going to lose,” Fox told the magazine. “But, there is a lot to gain in losing.”
