Michael J. Fox speaks frankly about Parkinson’s disease and mortality

Michael J Fox He opens up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease and his death.

the Back to the future The 64-year-old actor has been diagnosed with the condition Early Parkinson’s disease He was born in 1991 at the age of 29 and has been living with this health condition for more than 30 years.

According to Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Researchwhich the actor founded in 2000, Parkinson’s disease occurs when “brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die,” and can cause problems such as tremors, stiffness, and problems with walking and balance. It can also lead to depression, memory problems, and other symptoms.

“There’s no timeline, there’s no series of stages that you go through, not the same way you go through, for example, with prostate cancer,” Fox said of his diagnosis in an interview with the magazine. Sunday Times On Sunday, October 12th. “It’s more ambiguous and ambiguous.”

“There are not many people who have had Parkinson’s disease in 35 years,” Fox added, revealing that he had been contemplating his own death.

“I would love to not wake up one day. That would be really nice. I don’t want it to be dramatic. I don’t want to trip over the furniture, or smash my head,” he said.

And in the interview, Spin City The actor opened up about The injuries he suffered Over the years due to the decline in his motor skills.

Fox recalls that a doctor once suggested that the physical nature of his work as an actor might help him alleviate the symptoms of the disease. “It was kind of helpful,” Fox said. “This is (the point) where I break things.”

“It’s absolutely unbelievable the things I’ve broken. In the span of three years I broke my elbow, broke my hand, had a major infection in my hand and almost lost my finger.”

The actor said that he had to give up playing the guitar, which was one of his favorite hobbies.

“It’s terrible. All these little bones were broken and infected and they had to cut the bones out because the bones became infected,” he said. “I broke my other shoulder, and it was replaced. I broke my cheekbone.”

These days, Fox said his movement is very limited.

“I take it easy now. I don’t walk much anymore. I can walk, but it’s not pretty and it’s a bit dangerous. So, I brought that into my life, you know – no pun intended.”

Fox previously discussed his battle with Parkinson’s disease in a 2023 documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox film.

“Every tremor is like an earthquake,” Fox said in the film, revealing that the disease could cause him to “freeze physically” and “freeze his face.” He said he sometimes finds it difficult to “smile” or “make an expression,” which is a typical symptom for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“People express to me that I make them feel better and make them do things they might not do otherwise,” he said in the documentary. “This is the most powerful thing. It’s a huge responsibility… I don’t want to mess it up.”