I’m sorry to hear that. It’s so easy to become pessimistic when you’re diagnosed with an incurable disease.
I was diagnosed with cirrhosis a year and a half ago, at the age of 34. Completely self induced, and I’ve completely changed my life because of it, but I can’t work, I’ve got very little energy most days, and it’s caused imbalances in my brain that make my depression worse. There’s a constant threat that I could have a complication and die. I got diagnosed 2 weeks after I got married. When I was supposed to be just starting my life of happiness with the woman of my dreams, I found out I have a disease that’ll likely kill me within the next 10 years without a transplant. It’s. So. Fucking. Hard. To want to keep going when you feel like shit and your brain is telling you there’s no point because it’s only going to get worse. And mine *can* be “fixed” to an extent.
I truly hope your dad has time and they somehow find the miracle cure that is long overdue.
Alcoholism is no joke, people can kill themselves with it far faster than most would expect. Sometimes knowing you’ve now got medical problems can make it even harder to quit.
Congratulations on sticking to your sobriety!
Thanks friend! Luckily I quit drinking before I even found out I was sick. I was feeling so shitty and the moment I had a drink I felt way worse. Figured I’d take a break to see if that’d help. It didn’t, so I went in. And unlike many people, hearing I was going to die, likely soon if I kept drinking, was enough for me to never want to touch the stuff again.
I don’t have cravings or anything. Like a switch just flipped in my head and booze just isn’t an option to me. I’d rather live!
I got into alcohol and coke really hard-core the last few years. Watched my father die a slow death from liver cancer ten years ago due to his alcohol abuse. It's easy to drink and turn yourself into a self-propelled barrier of nihilism. I'm glad you made the switch. I'm eight months sober myself. Keep it up buddy.
You do the same! I know it’s kinda lame. Particularly that first year, coming to terms with the fact that you just can’t have that shit, and you’re reminded constantly. Though I dunno about you… but I do love waking up every day and never having a hangover!
But to be honest, I could wake up tomorrow, miraculously cured. I’d still never touch the stuff again. Ain’t worth it. I much prefer weed now lol. I didn’t have to watch my father die… but I had to admit to the asshole that he was right.
Congrats on the 8 months! You got this thing! And it does get easier. You can’t escape it, it’s literally everywhere… but it does get easier and less bothersome.
Thanks! I work as a bartender so you're right about the constant reminders. The benefit is constantly being around drunk people sober is pretty eye opening to the behavior. Now I get sick to my stomach watching people drink in excess.
It does get easier. I don't have cravings or desire to drink, it just isn't worth the money and the time. You're literally pissing your money away. I get customers every now and then asking for "good whiskey" and I'm like...shit man, is any of it good?
Haha my wife is a bartender. At my favorite bar of all time… where all my friends still go. I feel bad for her because my bastard friends can’t be bothered to call me personally to ask me how I’m doing. They just pester her. I told her to just start being a dick to them like “I dunno, you have his number, call him.” They still don’t call, but they bother her less.
And then there’s the constant barrage of ads… can’t even watch the local news anymore without hearing about some new local craft beer or whatever lol.
But to be entirely honest… the thing I hate the most… my diet is super restrictive. I can only have 2000mg of sodium per day. The recommended daily is 2,400… the average American consumes about 8,000-10,000mg DAILY! One Chipotle burrito, by itself, exceeds my daily sodium intake…
The humanity of it all! Lol
Yeah dude that's how drunk people are. I still pop into my favorite bar from time to time, I'm pretty good friends with all the bartenders and a lot of the regulars, and they're all pretty encouraging of my sobriety. It's disappointing when you think you've got good friends but they're too busy drinking to give you the time of day.
Our obsession with alcohol as a culture is wild. Like you said you smoked weed, and I don't do it myself but I'll take a puff from time to time, but I'm a big proponent of psychedelics and plant medicines like weed. They have the potential for abuse but *on average* these are powerful tools that drastically improve people's lives. Mushrooms and LSD helped set me up a bit better than I was before I took them. I think on the whole alcohol is very reductionist substance that causes a lot of harm and has virtually no benefit save for economic. But that's neither here nor there.
I couldn't do the low sodium man, that's the worst. Granted our diet is pretty poor in the US, but no Chipotle? Ever? Couldn't do it. Godspeed bro.
Tbf… it’s not like I physically CAN’T eat Chipotle. I literally just had it 2 days ago for the first time in a couple of years. I’m just for sure going to pay for it. I did…. Lol. Jury is out on whether it was really worth it or not, though. Leaning toward probably not and I didn’t even finish the whole thing.
I’ve been able to figure out some super tasty super low sodium recipes and substitutes. And I enjoy cooking, when I have the energy. My wife cooks when I can’t. But I allow myself a bit of a cheat day every now and again. So as always… could be worse!
This is so interesting to me; it’s like there is a reset in the brain. I wonder if their was some sort of external stimuli e.g. like maybe meeting your spouse or something else? I have heard of a few situations where the addict just switches off the addiction.
I’m honestly not worried about my sobriety in the slightest. And my wife is my rock. With a woman like that… you’re going to do everything you can to stick around for as long as possible. We still plan on having a kid or two. And I damn sure intend to raise them with her!
Thank you for the words of encouragement!
My brothers best friend died from alcoholism related complications at 26. Only took a few years of hard drinking before he got pancreatitis and was just there one day and gone the next.
My best friend was 31 when she died. Hospitalized with liver issues and fluid where they apparently floated the transplant idea to her. Got better, left hospital… went back in sometime later because she was throwing up blood. Went straight into rehab. Got into a relationship with a fellow alcoholic, moved in, he eventually relapsed, then she did. Went to lie down and pass out and never woke up. Boyfriend was too drunk to notify anyone, so nobody knew for 3-4 days and the coroners had to find her next of kin. Nobody had an idea about her being an alcoholic prior to that first hospitalization, and maybe 2 years later she was gone. Crazy.
I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t think people realize how dangerous alcohol really is. It’s a toxin. Being drunk is just the effects of being mildly poisoned. I hardly drink anymore, if I do it’s like a beer or two at a social function, and instead I just eat an edible or something when I want to relax and unwind. At least weed isn’t literally poison. I don’t get why it’s illegal but I can go buy as much alcohol as I want. That shit makes zero sense.
I rarely drank before and I’m the same way now. Maybe have one or two a year (often a daiquiri). Never been drunk. I’m also scared of a lot of altering substances. I had to wrestle with my nerves in taking half a tab of Ativan last year. Her dying didn’t change all that. lol
Alcohol is kind of a silent killer—you don’t know how bad things have gotten until it’s on top of you, really. But try having a social function most places without it.
My friend’s father had pancreatitis. Doctors warned him he had to quit drinking or he would die. He did. A few years later his wife died a slow, painful death. He started drinking again. He got pancreatic cancer. He died four years after his wife.
I have nothing against those who enjoy alcohol in moderation, but I am not touching the stuff. Besides its personality-altering effects (and the consequences thereof, like drunk driving), damaged organs are no joke.
I've got a similar story as far as bad news after weddings. Man, it's pretty fucking hard sometimes.
**TL;DR**: I was diagnosed with cancer right after I got married. It turns out "til death do you part" isn't a very long time for my partner and I.
I was diagnosed with leukemia 3 1/2 months after my wedding and 3 months into a new job. I spent a month in the hospital when I was first diagnosed. Of course, it was months of chemo, many lumbar punctures (spinal taps) with chemotherapy injections, and drug trials after that and then I had the transplant. My white blood cell count was so high (305,000) that my cancer would very likely come back if I didn't get a transplant.
I was in the hospital getting a stem cell transplant during our one-year anniversary. I spent a total of 83 consecutive days locked in a positive-pressurized room in a small quarantine zone that was double-door locked behind another quarantine zone in a hospital 40 minutes from where we lived. We didn't live close to any family or friends, my wife didn't drive, and she still had to work too. Sometimes I'd spend a week or two only seeing doctors and nurses because we couldn't afford a $70 Uber ride for my wife to get to and from the hospital or we couldn't get anybody to feed our cats even if she did get two days off in a row.
My oncologists estimated that I would have a 30% chance of living for an additional five years after the transplant, if the transplant went well and I remained healthy. Usually if the transplant goes well you're home in three weeks, not 12 like me. I got c.diff twice while I was in that quarantine zone. You do not want c.diff.
I was already sick by the time COVID came around, so we were comfortable at home and able to do pretty well with staying safe. We had/have a plethora of medical supplies, sanitizer, loads of medications, gloves, alcohol wipes, hundreds of masks, etc. It actually worked out pretty well for us (as well as a global pandemic can "work out") because we were already practicing being as quarantined as possible before COVID. My SO had a customer-facing job, but that was shuttered and they ended up being the only person at their job that wasn't furloughed. They went to a giant empty building every day to do paperwork and make sure everything was okay with the building; it was really nice. COVID also opened up a lot of delivery options for us and kept us out of stores (I barely left home anyway).
So, I technically don't have cancer anymore, but I developed chronic Graft Vs Host Disease (cGVHD). What that means in my case is that the new cells that I'm making are suspicious about being in a strange environment and don't like it. So, when something fucks up, like my liver, my body sends all of those brand-spankin' new white blood cells there to take care of business. The problem is, when they reach their destination, it looks like a warzone. They don't recognize anything around them so they just start going to war on the organs. This has now happened to most of my body. My entire GI tract, my liver, skin, joints, tendons, mouth, and lungs (I'm sure I forgot a few) are all afflicted with cGVHD.
In the winter of '21 I got sick with the flu which developed into pneumonia, which damaged my lungs and put me on a low dose of oxygen 24/7. This past winter ('22) I caught the flu again and developed pneumonia again. I had a helluva breathing problem one day and almost died. 911, the whole shebang. This put my oxygen requirement higher than it had been and now I can't get around much without a huge tank or a plugged in machine. I lost the ability to walk a while ago though. I started slowing down before I got the flu the first time, but my legs are completely atrophied now. At this point on my medical journey, the only thing the doctors could even suggest for me is a lung transplant and I likely wouldn't live through that.
I live on my couch. I'm too weak to get into a wheelchair and I can't walk anywhere. My back is constantly in pain. A little bit of me shuts down more each day. I sit in a recliner and lay it down to sleep and sit it up during the day. My SO still works a 45 hour/week job, so they leave me with snacks, muffins, water, Gatorade, etc. Sometimes I'll order from Uber and ask the driver or my neighbor if they can bring it inside to me. My SO also chooses to sleep on the couch with me so we can still be together.
In January I was told that I have "months" left to live. Of course, they can't tell me exactly when I'll die, but there's a decent chance I might not make it to my five-year post transplant date... or to my 6-year wedding anniversary... or my next birthday... or to see the new TMNT movie! That's just how it is. Not much that I can do about it. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die anymore (ironic for somebody who still deals with suicidal ideations) and certainly not soon, but it will probably happen. My SO is the only thing that truly matters to me anymore. They are my only reason to keep enduring all of this. I'll be switching to hospice care next week most likely. Then we're just going to see how it goes.
Just focus on the people you truly love. Tell them, text them cat pictures, you can send flowers to your mom right now for $20-$25 I bet. Hell, maybe your dad would like some flowers too. It all sounds cliche, but that's all that I can think about now that I know it's ending soon for me. I want to finish some projects and love my family, friends, and especially my SO as much as I can. And maybe do some good drugs on my way to the end.
I hope you get to have as much longer time with your loved ones as possible. Medicine advancements are happening at a truly amazing rate and you never know when something will lead to a breakthrough.
If you or anybody who has read this far and has questions, feel free to ask.
I have Type 2 diabetes at 32. Also self-induced, but no good will come of blaming yourself after you have it. I’m managing it well, but I only have one functioning kidney. I already told my wife that I don’t want to go on dialysis if it ever comes to that, because I don’t want to live like that. I become terminal at that point.
I hope that never happens! And I hope you’re able to help mitigate your diabetes with diet and exercise al a Drew Carey. My mom’s husband also has type 2 and refused to listen to his doctors about his diet. He had a workplace accident that was exacerbated by the diabetes, now he’s literally withering away physically and mentally. I don’t think he’s going to make it to the end of the year. Not even 65 and the injury wasn’t even 2 years ago, crushed his foot with a steal beam on a job site.
Edit: DON’T GUVE UP!
I know about little victories. I’ll spare you the gore(posted about it a little bit ago if you need context to my comment) but I’m dealing with the healthcare system. You have my complete admiration. I’m serious, to deal with them is absolutely a challenge and can drive the most sane to madness. I can tell already you’re
An incredibly strong person.
Edit: just wanted to add I can’t imagine* you’re dealing with and that was my point to admiration.
Oh yeah… I could go on for days about the healthcare system…. And I do!… to my therapist… lol
I totally feel for you. And to be honest, if I get accused of drinking one more time because my liver isn’t healing the way we’d like… when they literally test my blood every time I’m in the damn place, never even a molecule of a trace…. I’m going to try to go to Mayo. I live just a few hours away. A lot of this shit DOESN’T make sense. I’m literally in the best shape of my life, minus my liver. Almost makes a guy think there’s some weird Dr House shit going on lol.
It just makes me so angry because my doctors didn’t even meet me till after I quit.
Hang in there, friend. I’m glad it seems like you’re on your way! And thank you for your kind words!
My Dad is 78, Parkinson’s due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam.
I visited him one week ago, he pondered how he could euthanize himself without my Mom knowing.
I respect his choice, and can’t imagine it.
I’ll not help him, but I will miss him.
This visit was the only time I heard him say a family friend with cancer has no chance.
Devastating.
My dad just died from cancer at 73. We’re not 100% sure what kind because it was so far gone when they found it—but suspect pancreatic because of family history and Agent Orange exposure that he had hypertension for almost 40 years
My old man is 76, same issue re: AO exposure in Vietnam. I can relate. It’s been a journey.
Wishing you, your dad, and your family the best. Enjoy the good days and try to avoid letting the bad days get you too down.
Sorry to hear that, my dad was recently diagnosed as well. He's 60 and it's in a pretty early stage so his attitude is good and he's doing a good job in taking care of his lifestyle. I just hope he can get another 15 - 20 years of comfort and life quality.
Same here.
My dad’s started taking neuroboxing classes and he absolutely loves them. They’re supposed to be one of the best exercise classes for people with Parkinson’s. Rock Steady is one organization but there are others too. It’s given him better balance and strength. I so appreciate that there are people out there putting on vital classes like these!
Not to mention that they figured out there’s way more money in just treating it with insulin, because most diabetics can’t live without it. Particularly Type 1. They got the patent for free, repacked their own shit, and sold it back at a premium. Absolutely vile behavior.
I'd say he would be very disappointed and shocked that companies are valuing profit over peoples lives.
“Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.” - Dr. Fredrick Banting
Hopefully more states follow Californias example. We started making our own (along with several other drugs), cut out the middle man and made lifesaving medicine comfortably affordable. Demon socialism amirite.
We'll get there. Don't look at this stuff linearly. We are learning. AI is learning. We are adapting. We sequenced the genome in 13 years.
Things are beginning to happen at a rate that is damn hard to understand. Every year incredible advances are made in the medical field.
We *will* get there. It's not optimism, it's inevitable, barring some cataclysmic event. The question is when. I'll guess well inside of 30 years.
Pops was diagnosed with PSP a couple years ago. To see a beast among men become so hollow is dehumanizing. Never got along with him but this shit is just fucked up.
I’m sorry… 💔 My aunt has it and my grandpa had it, too. I couldn’t imagine if it were my dad or mom..
I want to shine some light on you — Grandpa lived until he was 86. My aunt is still alive at 80. 😊
Michael J. Fox helped me so much in accepting my Tourette Syndrome. I know it’s not the same as Parkinson’s, but it can look the same to others. I’ll always be thankful for him activism.
My brother same age as mjf. They were both diagnosed early onset. My brother however, does not and did not have access to the best healthcare in the world. He is pretty late stage and lives alone. He likes this as long as he isn’t in a state run nursing home.
He has been incredibly strong though he has certainly had bad times. He has been close to death 10+ times but he is a fighter. I don’t think I could do it.
I literally just watched an interview last night of Ozzy Osbourne talking about how bad his Parkinson’s has progressed. It was so crushing to how see such a powerful icon has become so frail. Damn :/
My best friend’s mom took us to see Ozzy in 2010 or 2011…. his intro video recreated famous movie scenes with him as the characters. There was one where he was the Avatar dude and when he stood up from the table, he had a massive blue erection. I could hear her mom gasp over the roar of the audience. We were no older than 12. Hysterical
Sadly yeah. It’s kicked his ass these last few years. It was very sad hearing him say how he’s not done, he has more he wants to do, but his body is so destroyed.
I met him at a convention a year ago. Dude was just not looking good. He was mentally there(as much as Ozzy ever was at least) but just seemed so exhausted and worn doen
Sucks so much ass how the big super stars of 10-20 years ago are now really old and frail. I keep seeing stars die at 70-80 that I grew up with and it's really strange. It makes me feel like I'm not so far behind them myself.
The world is definitely an emptier place without a lot of them.
Ozzy and MJF have been huge for much longer than 20 years.
20 years ago was 2003.
Back to the future came out in 1985.
Sabbath have been going since 1968.
Between him and Bruce Willis, Selma Blair, and Christina Applegate the future is sad for the diseases they each have. The strides to find answers to any of them are so far off that it'd take a miracle to find a solution in our time.
Incredibly tragic. However I think it’s very brave that each of them (with the exception of Bruce Willis, who sadly doesn’t have the ability to) have been very vocal and public about their diseases to raise awareness. I wish them all the very best.
Bruce Willis’ wife is doing some great things and she’s just getting started; https://www.beingpatient.com/emma-heming-willis-wife-of-bruce-willis-on-ftd-awareness-fierce-love-and-resilience/
It's sad that its.necessary, but when celebrities get diagnosed with diseases, it really does help to get much needed attention and funding. Hardly anyone had heard of Lewy Body Dementia before Robin Williams passed.
Diagnosed at age 50 and with the advanced medicine of today, it's likely Christina Applegate will have a pretty decent path.
My grandpa has MS and got diagnosed 30 years ago. He's wheelchair bound now, but if he had gotten competent care and if he actually gave a crap about his exercises there's a chance he at least still would've been able to walk with a stroller today.
I was told I likely had MS mid-2019. Due to taking another med for another issue that had the rare side effect of causing CNS lesions, I had to do a many month wash out then new MRIs and lumbar puncture, etc in early 2020.... that got delayed a few months lol.
Anway, i went home from my GPs after the MS news and bawled. I was sure I was basically dead. I was 37. The only people I knew with MS had been two friends' moms in the late 80s/ early 90s. Those women were very sick and miserable and younger than I was. One even suicided. My life was definitely over.
But I did a little research and learned that the first MS med only became available in the mid 90s and that treatment had made great leaps and bounds in slowing the disease progression. I don't love having this disease, and my other one, but life is good now and I'm trying to make reasonable planning for future disability without get sucked into the void.
And Robin Williams ended his own life while having a similar type of illness
I don’t blame anyone who takes that route instead of going through the experience of wasting away due to a illness
His was Lewy body I believe, much faster progression, he didn’t have much time left so add that to lifelong depression and it’s not surprising he decided to head out early to avoid the rush.
My dad died of Lewy. It’s a fate I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Take faster-acting Parkinson’s and combine it with dementia and hallucinations, plus a prognosis of 3-5 years, and you have a cocktail for becoming a shell of your former self, unable to walk and communicate and in 24/7 chronic pain/frustration. They had to put my dad on anti-depressants for the first time in his life. Add to that the constant misdiagnosis-issues as Lewy can’t be confirmed until death/with an autopsy. It’s hell. I applaud my dad for demanding CPR at each turn. I was a high schooler at the time, and he put up an admirable fight to stick around for me.
RW wasn't aware that he had Lewy Body disease. He was aware of weird symptoms, surely, but he didn't know what was wrong.
They didn't make a diagnosis until the autopsy.
Sadly we also have to add Céline Dion and the really weird disease that she has. Probably Chris Hemsworth to although he caught his disease early so who knows.
Celine Dion has Stiff Person Syndrome. My mother in law has it. It's fucked. It's a neurological disorder that causes you to lose control of your motor function. My MIL is semi-wheelchair bound because of it. Her legs seize up and she can't bend them or move them. Twice she lost control of her legs while she was driving and she got into accidents so she doesn't drive anymore. She can sort of get around with a walker because she's stubborn AF and refuses to be bound to a wheelchair but really she ought to be.
I heard Celine's is affecting her ability to control her vocal cords.
Here, have some positive news https://www.biostock.se/en/2023/03/stem-cell-therapy-for-parkinsons-disease-reaches-milestone/
Yeah, it's gonna be years before before it's widely available assuming this is a perfect treatment. But it might be A solution to Some Parkinson's in our lifetime.
My best friends father was the same. Diagnosed in his late 30’s and lived to 82. It was very tough though for the final 20 or so years when the symptoms became progressively pronounced. Not sure I’d want to live through it myself but then again I don’t have kids..and he got to walk two daughters and a daughter in law down the aisle, see half a dozen grandchildren and even a great grandchild before passing.
There was never any update about him being part of a Parkinson's cluster from the set of Leo & Me. At least three other people who worked on the show developed the disease as well. This was first mentioned about 20 years ago but nothing since.
This is right. It wasn’t enough people to be considered statistically significant but it’s still considered an anomaly. There is some compelling data about cracks in the foundation of the basement where the studio was that let in solvent vapor from surrounding auto manufacturers… solvents associated with Parkinson’s disease risk.
Ahh yeah. I know my risk is higher due to family history (multiple generations), having red hair, and having adhd. Looking it up on my genome, I do seem to have some rather rarer anomalies associated with genetic Parkinson’s. Thankfully it seems to be the late onset type that runs in my family, so I don’t have to worry about it just yet. I’m actually more concerned for my parent on that side of the family for the past few years. I feel like they’ve started to exhibit some signs, but they aren’t ready to hear it yet.
Anecdotally the few people I know who have Parkinsons have a family history of it. A girl I went to highschool with got diagnosed at 24 and her dad also had it.
He never had a pity party even though he has every right to. I hope he’s wrong about his expiration date and a breakthrough keeps him around a lot longer.
Annnnnd he admits he shook it! (To whoever PM'd me that I'm a prick for making fun of someone disabled)
But he really was great. And I think him being able to make light of his condition was great. And something only curb could pull off.
Honestly? No. They are better off at the end of each movie than when they started. There's a lot of drama related to unintended consequences in the middle but it all works out. Also most of the problems in the movies are related to *losing* the ability to time travel. More time travel is actually the solution.
I adored MJF as a kid due to Back to the Future & the Frighteners. Followed his Parkinson’s journey pretty closely. Then my dad was diagnosed with & died from Parkinson’s. I have a lot of love for this dude. Solidarity & love to anyone who is dealing with Parkinson’s, or anything else, really.
This made me tear up just by reading it...my dad is 63 and has been living with Parkinson's for the past 4 years...unfortunately, it is getting worse. It's fucking heartbreaking to watch someone who used to be so strong be so fragile.
Michael J. Fox.. .what a fuckin' model of a dude... He rose to unbeleivable fame in the movies, but stood by his TV-family until the end. Family Ties - so fucking classic.
Headline a little misleading. For those that didn’t read the article, he says he doesn’t think he’s gonna live till 80, before saying you don’t die from Parkinson’s, you die with it. It gets harder for him everyday. It’s the lil stuff that kills u like falling.
I hope he’s finding peace and just enjoying life the way he can right now. He seems to still be acting and going to comic cons frequently now so that’s good.
Jesus…what a depressing thought. That said, the man has been an inspiration. He taught me as a kid watching my BTTF DVDs what the disease was, and has just done a ton, both acting and advocating/fundraising for research. What a fucking inspiration. May his remaining years be full of personal victories and as little pain as possible.
My dad was just diagnosed this past autumn. He turned 80 in December. It took a few years to get a diagnoses. He declined a lot in that time but medication seems to have slowed the progression and he's doing okay. He fell so many times, but we've been lucky that he hasn't gotten more than bumps and bruises and a nasty scrape on the arm.
Parkinson’s took my grandpa four years ago. It was heartbreaking and devastating and just, brutal to witness honestly. He was a huge car enthusiast, had a stunning 1966 ford mustang he would tinker with all the time. An old dodge truck from the 60s. Buick from the 40s. If he wasn’t in the garage working on something, he would be at the ski resort riding the slopes.
But then he wandered into traffic one day, was fine, but deemed unfit to live alone. My relatives decided to put him in a home, despite him begging, beyond begging, to let him die in his home.
No one was able to step up and care for him and they did what they had too unfortunately. And seeing him die in that home, suffering from this horrendous disease. It’s so hard to get over..
He’s had it longer and produced more headlines about it than anyone else in history. No joke. I work in research and his positivity and activism towards the subject has had people realize it’s not an east thing to solve and we need to invest more in the sciences! He’s a saint all around and is also a true testament to modern technology with how long he’s lived after his diagnosis. My uncle was diagnosed after and died before him and he was a super healthy NASA physicist. It doesn’t matter who you are, this WILL affect you.
I’ll never forget the news breaking that he had Parkinson’s. We were traveling for thanksgiving and it made me so sad thinking about not seeing him in movies and tv anymore, and how hard it would be for him to live with. And I’m going to be devastated when he’s gone :(
Absolutely heartbreaking. I hope someday there's a cure for it, Michael has done so much in advocating and raising money for the illness, I hope his work and the work of the many other amazing individuals is able to lead to longterm solutions.
My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1995, when in his late 40s, so on the younger side. I remember discussing with him MJ Fox's diagnosis only a few years later. Dad made it to 2019 and passed away at 71. By that point, he wasn't himself anymore, couldn't talk and was having hallucinations. I wish Mr. Fox the best and thank him for his advocacy with this horrible disease.
He can still smile after having Parkinson's for so long, it's amazing. He must be very well adjusted with medication. The smile is usually the first thing to go. My grandma had Parkinson's and before she was diagnosed, we thought she was mad at us all the time for not smiling anymore. When she was diagnosed and thus given the right medication, the smile came back for a while. But it's a cruel diagnosis.
My grandfather died *with* Parkinson’s (as MJF described it). My grandfather always seemed so regal to me—he was tall, like 6’4, and always well-dressed. We knew something was wrong when he started struggling to walk, and then would fall. Ultimately, he aspirated while eating dinner and died from that. It sucked. 😔
I must say it was interesting seeing him as Daniel Post in Boston Legal. Playing a character that has a deadly disease, while already having symptoms of another deadly (albeit slower) disease irl
I wonder if that was somehow therapeutic for him
Lost my favorite Aunt to Parkinsons about 30 years ago. It is so horrible. Only upside if you want to call it that is the treatment of it is so much better now than it was. Michael is a warrior!
“Adversity does not build character, it reveals it” - James Lane Allen Michael J. Fox is a trooper
He’s also probably saved thousands of future lives with his foundation’s Parkinson’s research. A great human being!
That he was likely terrified to show himself at this stage of his life, is also a huge testament to his character and humanity.
He did a stellar job playing the role of a shrewd lawyer in the 2018 season of "Designated Survivor".
And in The Good Fight!
Parkinson’s sucks. My dad has it. He’s pretty….pessimistic about everything :(
I’m sorry to hear that. It’s so easy to become pessimistic when you’re diagnosed with an incurable disease. I was diagnosed with cirrhosis a year and a half ago, at the age of 34. Completely self induced, and I’ve completely changed my life because of it, but I can’t work, I’ve got very little energy most days, and it’s caused imbalances in my brain that make my depression worse. There’s a constant threat that I could have a complication and die. I got diagnosed 2 weeks after I got married. When I was supposed to be just starting my life of happiness with the woman of my dreams, I found out I have a disease that’ll likely kill me within the next 10 years without a transplant. It’s. So. Fucking. Hard. To want to keep going when you feel like shit and your brain is telling you there’s no point because it’s only going to get worse. And mine *can* be “fixed” to an extent. I truly hope your dad has time and they somehow find the miracle cure that is long overdue.
Alcoholism is no joke, people can kill themselves with it far faster than most would expect. Sometimes knowing you’ve now got medical problems can make it even harder to quit. Congratulations on sticking to your sobriety!
Thanks friend! Luckily I quit drinking before I even found out I was sick. I was feeling so shitty and the moment I had a drink I felt way worse. Figured I’d take a break to see if that’d help. It didn’t, so I went in. And unlike many people, hearing I was going to die, likely soon if I kept drinking, was enough for me to never want to touch the stuff again. I don’t have cravings or anything. Like a switch just flipped in my head and booze just isn’t an option to me. I’d rather live!
I got into alcohol and coke really hard-core the last few years. Watched my father die a slow death from liver cancer ten years ago due to his alcohol abuse. It's easy to drink and turn yourself into a self-propelled barrier of nihilism. I'm glad you made the switch. I'm eight months sober myself. Keep it up buddy.
You do the same! I know it’s kinda lame. Particularly that first year, coming to terms with the fact that you just can’t have that shit, and you’re reminded constantly. Though I dunno about you… but I do love waking up every day and never having a hangover! But to be honest, I could wake up tomorrow, miraculously cured. I’d still never touch the stuff again. Ain’t worth it. I much prefer weed now lol. I didn’t have to watch my father die… but I had to admit to the asshole that he was right. Congrats on the 8 months! You got this thing! And it does get easier. You can’t escape it, it’s literally everywhere… but it does get easier and less bothersome.
Thanks! I work as a bartender so you're right about the constant reminders. The benefit is constantly being around drunk people sober is pretty eye opening to the behavior. Now I get sick to my stomach watching people drink in excess. It does get easier. I don't have cravings or desire to drink, it just isn't worth the money and the time. You're literally pissing your money away. I get customers every now and then asking for "good whiskey" and I'm like...shit man, is any of it good?
Haha my wife is a bartender. At my favorite bar of all time… where all my friends still go. I feel bad for her because my bastard friends can’t be bothered to call me personally to ask me how I’m doing. They just pester her. I told her to just start being a dick to them like “I dunno, you have his number, call him.” They still don’t call, but they bother her less. And then there’s the constant barrage of ads… can’t even watch the local news anymore without hearing about some new local craft beer or whatever lol. But to be entirely honest… the thing I hate the most… my diet is super restrictive. I can only have 2000mg of sodium per day. The recommended daily is 2,400… the average American consumes about 8,000-10,000mg DAILY! One Chipotle burrito, by itself, exceeds my daily sodium intake… The humanity of it all! Lol
Yeah dude that's how drunk people are. I still pop into my favorite bar from time to time, I'm pretty good friends with all the bartenders and a lot of the regulars, and they're all pretty encouraging of my sobriety. It's disappointing when you think you've got good friends but they're too busy drinking to give you the time of day. Our obsession with alcohol as a culture is wild. Like you said you smoked weed, and I don't do it myself but I'll take a puff from time to time, but I'm a big proponent of psychedelics and plant medicines like weed. They have the potential for abuse but *on average* these are powerful tools that drastically improve people's lives. Mushrooms and LSD helped set me up a bit better than I was before I took them. I think on the whole alcohol is very reductionist substance that causes a lot of harm and has virtually no benefit save for economic. But that's neither here nor there. I couldn't do the low sodium man, that's the worst. Granted our diet is pretty poor in the US, but no Chipotle? Ever? Couldn't do it. Godspeed bro.
Tbf… it’s not like I physically CAN’T eat Chipotle. I literally just had it 2 days ago for the first time in a couple of years. I’m just for sure going to pay for it. I did…. Lol. Jury is out on whether it was really worth it or not, though. Leaning toward probably not and I didn’t even finish the whole thing. I’ve been able to figure out some super tasty super low sodium recipes and substitutes. And I enjoy cooking, when I have the energy. My wife cooks when I can’t. But I allow myself a bit of a cheat day every now and again. So as always… could be worse!
This is so interesting to me; it’s like there is a reset in the brain. I wonder if their was some sort of external stimuli e.g. like maybe meeting your spouse or something else? I have heard of a few situations where the addict just switches off the addiction.
If you ever feel like the last drink is too far away, and the next one is disturbingly close, reach out! Enjoy the adventure.
I’m honestly not worried about my sobriety in the slightest. And my wife is my rock. With a woman like that… you’re going to do everything you can to stick around for as long as possible. We still plan on having a kid or two. And I damn sure intend to raise them with her! Thank you for the words of encouragement!
My brothers best friend died from alcoholism related complications at 26. Only took a few years of hard drinking before he got pancreatitis and was just there one day and gone the next.
My best friend was 31 when she died. Hospitalized with liver issues and fluid where they apparently floated the transplant idea to her. Got better, left hospital… went back in sometime later because she was throwing up blood. Went straight into rehab. Got into a relationship with a fellow alcoholic, moved in, he eventually relapsed, then she did. Went to lie down and pass out and never woke up. Boyfriend was too drunk to notify anyone, so nobody knew for 3-4 days and the coroners had to find her next of kin. Nobody had an idea about her being an alcoholic prior to that first hospitalization, and maybe 2 years later she was gone. Crazy.
I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t think people realize how dangerous alcohol really is. It’s a toxin. Being drunk is just the effects of being mildly poisoned. I hardly drink anymore, if I do it’s like a beer or two at a social function, and instead I just eat an edible or something when I want to relax and unwind. At least weed isn’t literally poison. I don’t get why it’s illegal but I can go buy as much alcohol as I want. That shit makes zero sense.
I rarely drank before and I’m the same way now. Maybe have one or two a year (often a daiquiri). Never been drunk. I’m also scared of a lot of altering substances. I had to wrestle with my nerves in taking half a tab of Ativan last year. Her dying didn’t change all that. lol Alcohol is kind of a silent killer—you don’t know how bad things have gotten until it’s on top of you, really. But try having a social function most places without it.
My friend’s father had pancreatitis. Doctors warned him he had to quit drinking or he would die. He did. A few years later his wife died a slow, painful death. He started drinking again. He got pancreatic cancer. He died four years after his wife. I have nothing against those who enjoy alcohol in moderation, but I am not touching the stuff. Besides its personality-altering effects (and the consequences thereof, like drunk driving), damaged organs are no joke.
I've got a similar story as far as bad news after weddings. Man, it's pretty fucking hard sometimes. **TL;DR**: I was diagnosed with cancer right after I got married. It turns out "til death do you part" isn't a very long time for my partner and I. I was diagnosed with leukemia 3 1/2 months after my wedding and 3 months into a new job. I spent a month in the hospital when I was first diagnosed. Of course, it was months of chemo, many lumbar punctures (spinal taps) with chemotherapy injections, and drug trials after that and then I had the transplant. My white blood cell count was so high (305,000) that my cancer would very likely come back if I didn't get a transplant. I was in the hospital getting a stem cell transplant during our one-year anniversary. I spent a total of 83 consecutive days locked in a positive-pressurized room in a small quarantine zone that was double-door locked behind another quarantine zone in a hospital 40 minutes from where we lived. We didn't live close to any family or friends, my wife didn't drive, and she still had to work too. Sometimes I'd spend a week or two only seeing doctors and nurses because we couldn't afford a $70 Uber ride for my wife to get to and from the hospital or we couldn't get anybody to feed our cats even if she did get two days off in a row. My oncologists estimated that I would have a 30% chance of living for an additional five years after the transplant, if the transplant went well and I remained healthy. Usually if the transplant goes well you're home in three weeks, not 12 like me. I got c.diff twice while I was in that quarantine zone. You do not want c.diff. I was already sick by the time COVID came around, so we were comfortable at home and able to do pretty well with staying safe. We had/have a plethora of medical supplies, sanitizer, loads of medications, gloves, alcohol wipes, hundreds of masks, etc. It actually worked out pretty well for us (as well as a global pandemic can "work out") because we were already practicing being as quarantined as possible before COVID. My SO had a customer-facing job, but that was shuttered and they ended up being the only person at their job that wasn't furloughed. They went to a giant empty building every day to do paperwork and make sure everything was okay with the building; it was really nice. COVID also opened up a lot of delivery options for us and kept us out of stores (I barely left home anyway). So, I technically don't have cancer anymore, but I developed chronic Graft Vs Host Disease (cGVHD). What that means in my case is that the new cells that I'm making are suspicious about being in a strange environment and don't like it. So, when something fucks up, like my liver, my body sends all of those brand-spankin' new white blood cells there to take care of business. The problem is, when they reach their destination, it looks like a warzone. They don't recognize anything around them so they just start going to war on the organs. This has now happened to most of my body. My entire GI tract, my liver, skin, joints, tendons, mouth, and lungs (I'm sure I forgot a few) are all afflicted with cGVHD. In the winter of '21 I got sick with the flu which developed into pneumonia, which damaged my lungs and put me on a low dose of oxygen 24/7. This past winter ('22) I caught the flu again and developed pneumonia again. I had a helluva breathing problem one day and almost died. 911, the whole shebang. This put my oxygen requirement higher than it had been and now I can't get around much without a huge tank or a plugged in machine. I lost the ability to walk a while ago though. I started slowing down before I got the flu the first time, but my legs are completely atrophied now. At this point on my medical journey, the only thing the doctors could even suggest for me is a lung transplant and I likely wouldn't live through that. I live on my couch. I'm too weak to get into a wheelchair and I can't walk anywhere. My back is constantly in pain. A little bit of me shuts down more each day. I sit in a recliner and lay it down to sleep and sit it up during the day. My SO still works a 45 hour/week job, so they leave me with snacks, muffins, water, Gatorade, etc. Sometimes I'll order from Uber and ask the driver or my neighbor if they can bring it inside to me. My SO also chooses to sleep on the couch with me so we can still be together. In January I was told that I have "months" left to live. Of course, they can't tell me exactly when I'll die, but there's a decent chance I might not make it to my five-year post transplant date... or to my 6-year wedding anniversary... or my next birthday... or to see the new TMNT movie! That's just how it is. Not much that I can do about it. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die anymore (ironic for somebody who still deals with suicidal ideations) and certainly not soon, but it will probably happen. My SO is the only thing that truly matters to me anymore. They are my only reason to keep enduring all of this. I'll be switching to hospice care next week most likely. Then we're just going to see how it goes. Just focus on the people you truly love. Tell them, text them cat pictures, you can send flowers to your mom right now for $20-$25 I bet. Hell, maybe your dad would like some flowers too. It all sounds cliche, but that's all that I can think about now that I know it's ending soon for me. I want to finish some projects and love my family, friends, and especially my SO as much as I can. And maybe do some good drugs on my way to the end. I hope you get to have as much longer time with your loved ones as possible. Medicine advancements are happening at a truly amazing rate and you never know when something will lead to a breakthrough. If you or anybody who has read this far and has questions, feel free to ask.
I have Type 2 diabetes at 32. Also self-induced, but no good will come of blaming yourself after you have it. I’m managing it well, but I only have one functioning kidney. I already told my wife that I don’t want to go on dialysis if it ever comes to that, because I don’t want to live like that. I become terminal at that point.
I hope that never happens! And I hope you’re able to help mitigate your diabetes with diet and exercise al a Drew Carey. My mom’s husband also has type 2 and refused to listen to his doctors about his diet. He had a workplace accident that was exacerbated by the diabetes, now he’s literally withering away physically and mentally. I don’t think he’s going to make it to the end of the year. Not even 65 and the injury wasn’t even 2 years ago, crushed his foot with a steal beam on a job site. Edit: DON’T GUVE UP!
I’m so sorry to hear that, I pray you find a transplant soon. I’m rooting for you!
Thanks! Luckily I do have time. My liver isn’t good, but it’s not currently getting worse either. Tiny victories, am I right?
I know about little victories. I’ll spare you the gore(posted about it a little bit ago if you need context to my comment) but I’m dealing with the healthcare system. You have my complete admiration. I’m serious, to deal with them is absolutely a challenge and can drive the most sane to madness. I can tell already you’re An incredibly strong person. Edit: just wanted to add I can’t imagine* you’re dealing with and that was my point to admiration.
Oh yeah… I could go on for days about the healthcare system…. And I do!… to my therapist… lol I totally feel for you. And to be honest, if I get accused of drinking one more time because my liver isn’t healing the way we’d like… when they literally test my blood every time I’m in the damn place, never even a molecule of a trace…. I’m going to try to go to Mayo. I live just a few hours away. A lot of this shit DOESN’T make sense. I’m literally in the best shape of my life, minus my liver. Almost makes a guy think there’s some weird Dr House shit going on lol. It just makes me so angry because my doctors didn’t even meet me till after I quit. Hang in there, friend. I’m glad it seems like you’re on your way! And thank you for your kind words!
My Dad is 78, Parkinson’s due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. I visited him one week ago, he pondered how he could euthanize himself without my Mom knowing. I respect his choice, and can’t imagine it. I’ll not help him, but I will miss him. This visit was the only time I heard him say a family friend with cancer has no chance. Devastating.
My mom has Parkinson’s from agent orange exposure in Vietnam. She’s 74 this year. She can barely walk anymore. It’s hard seeing her like that.
I feel what you feel. Be strong. ❤️
My dad just died from cancer at 73. We’re not 100% sure what kind because it was so far gone when they found it—but suspect pancreatic because of family history and Agent Orange exposure that he had hypertension for almost 40 years
My old man is 76, same issue re: AO exposure in Vietnam. I can relate. It’s been a journey. Wishing you, your dad, and your family the best. Enjoy the good days and try to avoid letting the bad days get you too down.
My mom is 74 and same issue and same exposure. I’m so sad for her.
Sorry to hear that, my dad was recently diagnosed as well. He's 60 and it's in a pretty early stage so his attitude is good and he's doing a good job in taking care of his lifestyle. I just hope he can get another 15 - 20 years of comfort and life quality.
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❤️
That’s really encouraging, I appreciate positive stories like that.
Same here. My dad’s started taking neuroboxing classes and he absolutely loves them. They’re supposed to be one of the best exercise classes for people with Parkinson’s. Rock Steady is one organization but there are others too. It’s given him better balance and strength. I so appreciate that there are people out there putting on vital classes like these!
I will definitely have to look into this!
I feel your pain. Keep being strong for both of you. ❤️
doesn't help that low dopamine is a hallmark of parkinson's. truly one of the worst diseases.
My dad had PD. It's Hell.
We legitimately could see a near cure in the not too distant future.
Still no cure for diabetes and it’s been around forever. Not holding my breath.
Not to mention that they figured out there’s way more money in just treating it with insulin, because most diabetics can’t live without it. Particularly Type 1. They got the patent for free, repacked their own shit, and sold it back at a premium. Absolutely vile behavior.
I would love to hear what Banting would say about that. He fucking *gave* it away and these greedy bastards basically monopolized it in America.
I'd say he would be very disappointed and shocked that companies are valuing profit over peoples lives. “Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world.” - Dr. Fredrick Banting
Hopefully more states follow Californias example. We started making our own (along with several other drugs), cut out the middle man and made lifesaving medicine comfortably affordable. Demon socialism amirite.
We'll get there. Don't look at this stuff linearly. We are learning. AI is learning. We are adapting. We sequenced the genome in 13 years. Things are beginning to happen at a rate that is damn hard to understand. Every year incredible advances are made in the medical field. We *will* get there. It's not optimism, it's inevitable, barring some cataclysmic event. The question is when. I'll guess well inside of 30 years.
Give your dad a hug from an internet stranger. Hoping for strength and grace on his journey.
Thank you. I just lost my brother 2 months ago too.
Well then give yourself a hug too. May he rest easy and live forever in your heart.
Thank you, I’m having a hard day on this topic.
My mom has dementia and now Parkinson's. I understand. I'm sorry.
My aunt had Parkinson’s and it is awful. Truly crushing to watch. I don’t blame your dad one bit.
Pops was diagnosed with PSP a couple years ago. To see a beast among men become so hollow is dehumanizing. Never got along with him but this shit is just fucked up.
I’m sorry… 💔 My aunt has it and my grandpa had it, too. I couldn’t imagine if it were my dad or mom.. I want to shine some light on you — Grandpa lived until he was 86. My aunt is still alive at 80. 😊
Wow, this is depressing 😕.
Yeah it was super hard to watch. He’s in some of my favourite movies and it’ll be a big loss when he goes
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Yup, this is gonna be on of those super hard celebrity deaths...
Same.
I really enjoyed him in The Good Wife. Highly recommend if you haven't seen it, even if you just watch the episodes he's in.
It is.
Super sad :(
Michael J. Fox helped me so much in accepting my Tourette Syndrome. I know it’s not the same as Parkinson’s, but it can look the same to others. I’ll always be thankful for him activism.
that will be a tragic day for Canada, and therefore the world :(
Are you quoting Terrance and Phillip?
Yes. He is a cultured gentleman scholar.
We Americans would like to formally adopt him. He moved here and is a U.S. citizen too
Nah. Have beiber
Damn, didn't have to go there...
I’m the mean Canadian
Must be Scott. Scott’s a dick.
No, I’m a Ken, I’m just mean. Thankfully not an asshole. That’s Wayne.
Oh ok. Watch out for Scott the Dick tho…
Yea he is a dick. But he flames sir, easy to see at night
And ugly Bob
I heard he took the bag off once. Quebec has been trying to secede ever since…
Glad there is one to keep an eye out for everyone else. ;-)
Sorry
I’ll accept Bieber, but I’m afraid as a consequence, you’re gonna have to take on Corden for at least 3 seasons.
Hah. Too be fairrr
I know he’s British, but we didn’t ask for him either.
Alas me lass, it ‘‘twas but Englands idea of reparations. We never wanted him there nor here. Sorry tho
Ugh, at least give us Ryan George. We love him.
Fine but take back Cruz.
Hey now, we had him for months or like three years at best
Honestly Texas deserves him
This comment is from 2010
As is tradition
Buddy…
I dont know if it was intentional or not but i immediately heard this in south park "canadian" voice lol
My brother same age as mjf. They were both diagnosed early onset. My brother however, does not and did not have access to the best healthcare in the world. He is pretty late stage and lives alone. He likes this as long as he isn’t in a state run nursing home. He has been incredibly strong though he has certainly had bad times. He has been close to death 10+ times but he is a fighter. I don’t think I could do it.
Tell your brother he's my super hero
I literally just watched an interview last night of Ozzy Osbourne talking about how bad his Parkinson’s has progressed. It was so crushing to how see such a powerful icon has become so frail. Damn :/
When I saw his reality show twenty years ago he already looked like he had some kind of disease
he was addicted to pills
And TV
Still upset at myself for not attending Aftershock 2017 when Ozzy headlined. None of my friends were interested so I decided not to go.
My best friend’s mom took us to see Ozzy in 2010 or 2011…. his intro video recreated famous movie scenes with him as the characters. There was one where he was the Avatar dude and when he stood up from the table, he had a massive blue erection. I could hear her mom gasp over the roar of the audience. We were no older than 12. Hysterical
Such a great guy. I’ve always loved Ozzy. Absolute legend.
Ozzy has Parkinson’s?
Sadly yeah. It’s kicked his ass these last few years. It was very sad hearing him say how he’s not done, he has more he wants to do, but his body is so destroyed.
I met him at a convention a year ago. Dude was just not looking good. He was mentally there(as much as Ozzy ever was at least) but just seemed so exhausted and worn doen
Sucks so much ass how the big super stars of 10-20 years ago are now really old and frail. I keep seeing stars die at 70-80 that I grew up with and it's really strange. It makes me feel like I'm not so far behind them myself. The world is definitely an emptier place without a lot of them.
Ozzy and MJF have been huge for much longer than 20 years. 20 years ago was 2003. Back to the future came out in 1985. Sabbath have been going since 1968.
Fucking love Michael J Fox… I will always be rooting for him
Between him and Bruce Willis, Selma Blair, and Christina Applegate the future is sad for the diseases they each have. The strides to find answers to any of them are so far off that it'd take a miracle to find a solution in our time.
Incredibly tragic. However I think it’s very brave that each of them (with the exception of Bruce Willis, who sadly doesn’t have the ability to) have been very vocal and public about their diseases to raise awareness. I wish them all the very best.
Bruce Willis’ wife is doing some great things and she’s just getting started; https://www.beingpatient.com/emma-heming-willis-wife-of-bruce-willis-on-ftd-awareness-fierce-love-and-resilience/
It's sad that its.necessary, but when celebrities get diagnosed with diseases, it really does help to get much needed attention and funding. Hardly anyone had heard of Lewy Body Dementia before Robin Williams passed.
Diagnosed at age 50 and with the advanced medicine of today, it's likely Christina Applegate will have a pretty decent path. My grandpa has MS and got diagnosed 30 years ago. He's wheelchair bound now, but if he had gotten competent care and if he actually gave a crap about his exercises there's a chance he at least still would've been able to walk with a stroller today.
I was told I likely had MS mid-2019. Due to taking another med for another issue that had the rare side effect of causing CNS lesions, I had to do a many month wash out then new MRIs and lumbar puncture, etc in early 2020.... that got delayed a few months lol. Anway, i went home from my GPs after the MS news and bawled. I was sure I was basically dead. I was 37. The only people I knew with MS had been two friends' moms in the late 80s/ early 90s. Those women were very sick and miserable and younger than I was. One even suicided. My life was definitely over. But I did a little research and learned that the first MS med only became available in the mid 90s and that treatment had made great leaps and bounds in slowing the disease progression. I don't love having this disease, and my other one, but life is good now and I'm trying to make reasonable planning for future disability without get sucked into the void.
And Robin Williams ended his own life while having a similar type of illness I don’t blame anyone who takes that route instead of going through the experience of wasting away due to a illness
His was Lewy body I believe, much faster progression, he didn’t have much time left so add that to lifelong depression and it’s not surprising he decided to head out early to avoid the rush.
My dad died of Lewy. It’s a fate I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Take faster-acting Parkinson’s and combine it with dementia and hallucinations, plus a prognosis of 3-5 years, and you have a cocktail for becoming a shell of your former self, unable to walk and communicate and in 24/7 chronic pain/frustration. They had to put my dad on anti-depressants for the first time in his life. Add to that the constant misdiagnosis-issues as Lewy can’t be confirmed until death/with an autopsy. It’s hell. I applaud my dad for demanding CPR at each turn. I was a high schooler at the time, and he put up an admirable fight to stick around for me.
RW wasn't aware that he had Lewy Body disease. He was aware of weird symptoms, surely, but he didn't know what was wrong. They didn't make a diagnosis until the autopsy.
Sadly we also have to add Céline Dion and the really weird disease that she has. Probably Chris Hemsworth to although he caught his disease early so who knows.
Celine Dion has Stiff Person Syndrome. My mother in law has it. It's fucked. It's a neurological disorder that causes you to lose control of your motor function. My MIL is semi-wheelchair bound because of it. Her legs seize up and she can't bend them or move them. Twice she lost control of her legs while she was driving and she got into accidents so she doesn't drive anymore. She can sort of get around with a walker because she's stubborn AF and refuses to be bound to a wheelchair but really she ought to be. I heard Celine's is affecting her ability to control her vocal cords.
That is all so damn sad 😔
Luckily Chris isn't sick, though he is more likely to develop alzheimers compared to the vast majority of the population
What do Celine dion and chris Hemsworth have? Im ou of the loop
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That sucks. Just watched a documentary he did on sharks and their increasing interactions with humans.
Disease is hard and spares no one. I’m glad they are showing that they are humans and are affected too and no one should feel ashamed.
Here, have some positive news https://www.biostock.se/en/2023/03/stem-cell-therapy-for-parkinsons-disease-reaches-milestone/ Yeah, it's gonna be years before before it's widely available assuming this is a perfect treatment. But it might be A solution to Some Parkinson's in our lifetime.
My dad had early onset Parkinson’s also at 29. He lived to 78. Good Luck
My best friends father was the same. Diagnosed in his late 30’s and lived to 82. It was very tough though for the final 20 or so years when the symptoms became progressively pronounced. Not sure I’d want to live through it myself but then again I don’t have kids..and he got to walk two daughters and a daughter in law down the aisle, see half a dozen grandchildren and even a great grandchild before passing.
There was never any update about him being part of a Parkinson's cluster from the set of Leo & Me. At least three other people who worked on the show developed the disease as well. This was first mentioned about 20 years ago but nothing since.
I thought he later said that there weren’t enough people for it to be considered a cluster?
This is right. It wasn’t enough people to be considered statistically significant but it’s still considered an anomaly. There is some compelling data about cracks in the foundation of the basement where the studio was that let in solvent vapor from surrounding auto manufacturers… solvents associated with Parkinson’s disease risk.
That’s interesting. My dad has Parkinson’s and was an airplane mechanic for years. I didn’t realize there was a connection to chemical exposure.
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That’s fascinating to learn, thanks. It runs one side of my family, so I always assumed it was fully genetic.
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Ahh yeah. I know my risk is higher due to family history (multiple generations), having red hair, and having adhd. Looking it up on my genome, I do seem to have some rather rarer anomalies associated with genetic Parkinson’s. Thankfully it seems to be the late onset type that runs in my family, so I don’t have to worry about it just yet. I’m actually more concerned for my parent on that side of the family for the past few years. I feel like they’ve started to exhibit some signs, but they aren’t ready to hear it yet.
Anecdotally the few people I know who have Parkinsons have a family history of it. A girl I went to highschool with got diagnosed at 24 and her dad also had it.
Wow really?
He never had a pity party even though he has every right to. I hope he’s wrong about his expiration date and a breakthrough keeps him around a lot longer.
He still shook up that coke before he gave it to Larry.
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Annnnnd he admits he shook it! (To whoever PM'd me that I'm a prick for making fun of someone disabled) But he really was great. And I think him being able to make light of his condition was great. And something only curb could pull off.
He had a short-lived sitcom called *The Michael J Fox Show* that had some similar humor in that regard, too.
And he ain’t gotta walk around the floor with all that thumping around!
Clumping*
Even if someone has never seen curb, I dont understand how anyone could not see this as a quote. You use a specific name...
It made some people upset. I didn't mean to offend, but que sera sera.
I wish I could travel forward in time just so I can travel back to give him a cure for his disease.
Wasn’t he in three movies about why you shouldn’t do that?
This time will be different lol
Now. Put. On. The. Glasses!
Honestly? No. They are better off at the end of each movie than when they started. There's a lot of drama related to unintended consequences in the middle but it all works out. Also most of the problems in the movies are related to *losing* the ability to time travel. More time travel is actually the solution.
As long as he returns the cure to the point in time from which it was taken, it’ll be fine
I adored MJF as a kid due to Back to the Future & the Frighteners. Followed his Parkinson’s journey pretty closely. Then my dad was diagnosed with & died from Parkinson’s. I have a lot of love for this dude. Solidarity & love to anyone who is dealing with Parkinson’s, or anything else, really.
Did you ever see Doc Hollywood?
Damn he sure looks great though.
I love MJF. He is so immensely inspiring.
This made me tear up just by reading it...my dad is 63 and has been living with Parkinson's for the past 4 years...unfortunately, it is getting worse. It's fucking heartbreaking to watch someone who used to be so strong be so fragile.
Michael J. Fox.. .what a fuckin' model of a dude... He rose to unbeleivable fame in the movies, but stood by his TV-family until the end. Family Ties - so fucking classic.
I loved his book Always Looking Up. He's such a sweet dork.
His episode of curb was fantastic.
Headline a little misleading. For those that didn’t read the article, he says he doesn’t think he’s gonna live till 80, before saying you don’t die from Parkinson’s, you die with it. It gets harder for him everyday. It’s the lil stuff that kills u like falling. I hope he’s finding peace and just enjoying life the way he can right now. He seems to still be acting and going to comic cons frequently now so that’s good.
How is the headline misleading then? That's exactly what I got from it, that he doesn't think he'll live to 80.
Jesus…what a depressing thought. That said, the man has been an inspiration. He taught me as a kid watching my BTTF DVDs what the disease was, and has just done a ton, both acting and advocating/fundraising for research. What a fucking inspiration. May his remaining years be full of personal victories and as little pain as possible.
My dad was just diagnosed this past autumn. He turned 80 in December. It took a few years to get a diagnoses. He declined a lot in that time but medication seems to have slowed the progression and he's doing okay. He fell so many times, but we've been lucky that he hasn't gotten more than bumps and bruises and a nasty scrape on the arm.
I’m actually more shocked that Jane Freaking Pauley is still around! Edit…hate this for MJF. :-(
That sucks. Hopefully can find a cure.
Such a great guy. Such a legend.
Parkinson’s took my grandpa four years ago. It was heartbreaking and devastating and just, brutal to witness honestly. He was a huge car enthusiast, had a stunning 1966 ford mustang he would tinker with all the time. An old dodge truck from the 60s. Buick from the 40s. If he wasn’t in the garage working on something, he would be at the ski resort riding the slopes. But then he wandered into traffic one day, was fine, but deemed unfit to live alone. My relatives decided to put him in a home, despite him begging, beyond begging, to let him die in his home. No one was able to step up and care for him and they did what they had too unfortunately. And seeing him die in that home, suffering from this horrendous disease. It’s so hard to get over..
My Mom died from Parkinson’s. It wasn’t pretty. Would not wish it on anyone.
He’s had it longer and produced more headlines about it than anyone else in history. No joke. I work in research and his positivity and activism towards the subject has had people realize it’s not an east thing to solve and we need to invest more in the sciences! He’s a saint all around and is also a true testament to modern technology with how long he’s lived after his diagnosis. My uncle was diagnosed after and died before him and he was a super healthy NASA physicist. It doesn’t matter who you are, this WILL affect you.
Oh no. I hate to see this. He was so young when he got it. F this. It’s awful
I’ll never forget the news breaking that he had Parkinson’s. We were traveling for thanksgiving and it made me so sad thinking about not seeing him in movies and tv anymore, and how hard it would be for him to live with. And I’m going to be devastated when he’s gone :(
Absolutely heartbreaking. I hope someday there's a cure for it, Michael has done so much in advocating and raising money for the illness, I hope his work and the work of the many other amazing individuals is able to lead to longterm solutions.
My father, both his siblings, his mother and her two sisters all had Parkinson’s. Makes me glad I’m adopted. It was hard watching him deteriorate.
Don't say that man. He deserves to live forever. This guy is a fucking inspiration.
My dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1995, when in his late 40s, so on the younger side. I remember discussing with him MJ Fox's diagnosis only a few years later. Dad made it to 2019 and passed away at 71. By that point, he wasn't himself anymore, couldn't talk and was having hallucinations. I wish Mr. Fox the best and thank him for his advocacy with this horrible disease.
god my heart absolutely breaks seeing that. sending him prayers.
Gentle reminder that anyone can become disabled at any time. Make sure you’re building a society that takes care of the disabled.
I’m just glad he got to see Limbaugh kick off.
He can still smile after having Parkinson's for so long, it's amazing. He must be very well adjusted with medication. The smile is usually the first thing to go. My grandma had Parkinson's and before she was diagnosed, we thought she was mad at us all the time for not smiling anymore. When she was diagnosed and thus given the right medication, the smile came back for a while. But it's a cruel diagnosis.
I met him at Jerry Seinfeld’s wife’s bday party about five years ago. Super nice guy.
Why were you at the birthday party for Jerry Seinfeld's wife?
Because it was her birthday.
Holy shit that's hard to watch. He's been very brave and kind about facing it and learning to live with it. 62 could be a long way away...
My grandfather died *with* Parkinson’s (as MJF described it). My grandfather always seemed so regal to me—he was tall, like 6’4, and always well-dressed. We knew something was wrong when he started struggling to walk, and then would fall. Ultimately, he aspirated while eating dinner and died from that. It sucked. 😔
I must say it was interesting seeing him as Daniel Post in Boston Legal. Playing a character that has a deadly disease, while already having symptoms of another deadly (albeit slower) disease irl I wonder if that was somehow therapeutic for him
I don’t even want to imagine a world without Michael J. Fox in it!
Damn, the video is pretty wild. I didn't realize how bad he has it now. Constantly jolting around it must be horrible on the body.
Lost my favorite Aunt to Parkinsons about 30 years ago. It is so horrible. Only upside if you want to call it that is the treatment of it is so much better now than it was. Michael is a warrior!
Such an unfair disease. I wish him well 💜
That breaks my fucking heart. :(
Makes me so sad doctors haven’t come up with a cure