Many of us fondly recall the movies and shows that first introduced us to Michael J. Fox, bringing a smile to our faces. Despite living with Parkinson’s disease for many years, he has continued to entertain us for decades.
Diagnosed in the early 90s, Fox became a prominent advocate for Parkinson’s awareness. In recent years, however, the disease has taken a toll, and he doubts he’ll live to see 80.
For many with Parkinson’s, reaching 61 is considered a milestone. While there was hope for Fox’s health, he now admits it’s becoming increasingly challenging.
He shared, “I’m not gonna lie. It’s gettin’ hard, it’s gettin’ harder. It’s gettin’ tougher. Every day it’s tougher. But, that’s the way it is. I mean, you know, who do I see about that?”
He also discussed a recent spinal surgery due to a benign tumor, which has led to more frequent falls, resulting in broken arms, elbow, face, and hand.
Fox emphasized that people don’t die from Parkinson’s, they die with it. He added, “I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it. … I’m not gonna be 80. I’m not gonna be 80.”
Recently, he spoke about the intense pain he experiences, likening each tremor to a seismic jolt. “It’s not so much pain from the movement, but from the not moving. It’s when you freeze, and in that freezing that not-movement becomes infused with all this energy and it becomes this burning, impending thing that never happens.”
He acknowledged the pain but remarked, “I don’t want to get the violins out. I’ve broken my hand, my elbow, my humerus, my other humerus, my shoulder, my face and some other s— too. And all that stuff is amplified by the electricity of the tremors. So, yes, it hurts a lot. But what you learn is that nobody gives a s—. It’s just life. It doesn’t matter. You suck it up and you move on. And there might be a story to tell in it. But only that. There’s no chit that you can present to a window for a refund.”