Michael J. Fox Is Determined To Keep Living Despite the ‘Excruciating Pain’ Of Parkinson’s

Michael J. Fox, who publicly announced his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease over two decades ago, has revealed the extent of the difficulties he faces in coping with the medical condition. In his upcoming documentary, Still, he spoke candidly about the visible tremors that are commonly associated with the disease, as well as the intense pain he experiences on a daily basis.

Recently, in an interview with The Times, the 61-year-old revealed that his pains are becoming very unbearable. “It’s not so much pain from the movement but from the not moving,” Fox explained. “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.”

Michael J. Fox says his truthfulness has helped him with the pain

Fox further disclosed that his pain has led him to sustain more injuries. “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,” he admitted. “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.”

RELATED: Michael J. Fox Thinks Partying May Have Caused His Parkinson’s Disease

However, the 61-year-old stated that his only consolation is that he has always been open about how he feels. “What has made my life richer and more authentic as time has gone on is being really honest about the pain,” Fox confessed, “and what it really has taken, and what has been lost.”

The actor says he has learnt to live with Parkinson

The actor also explained that having battled with Parkinson’s for half of his life, he has learned to live with all the pains associated with his illness. “The depression is [not] so deep that I’m going to injure myself … it always comes back to a place where I go, ‘Well, there’s more to celebrate in my life than there is to mourn,'” Fox said. “The pain speaks for itself. You either tolerate it or you don’t.”

Despite his illness, Fox revealed that he maintains a steadfast dedication to embracing life to the fullest, even in the face of significant losses. “And I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to be 80, but I’m not leaving tomorrow, either,” he concluded. “I have things to do. I have things I want to accomplish. I want to be with my family. I want to be with my friends. I want to be with my dog. And I’m going to do that for as long as I can.”