Michael J. Fox Speaks On His Immense Struggle With Parkinson's Disease, Constant Injuries

Retired actor and activist Michael J. Fox recently spoke on his extensive losses to Parkinson's disease, some 32 years after his first diagnosis.

Fox revealed that he had broken his hand, elbow, humerus, and shoulder during his ongoing battle with Parkinson's disease.

He continues to make giant strides in Parkinson's disease research with his Michael J. Fox Foundation. The foundation recently became the largest non-profit funder of Parkinson's disease research, with more than $1 billion in projects.

Read on for more details.

The actor and advocate for Parkinson's disease research recently shared the devastating news that he has lost the use of his hand, elbow, humerus, and shoulder arms, hands, to the progressive neurological disorder.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects the nervous system and causes tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with movement. It is a chronic and progressive disease, meaning that symptoms worsen over time.

Fox was first diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29, and he has been open about his struggles with the illness ever since. He has been a vocal advocate for Parkinson's disease research and has founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for the illness.

"My life is set up so I can pack Parkinson's along with me if I have to," he said in a recent interview with CBS this month, per RadarOnline.

He continued, "I had spinal surgery. I had a tumor on my spine. And it was benign, but it messed up my walking. And then, started to break stuff."

"Broke this arm, and I broke this arm and this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand," the "Back to the Future" actor shared, adding, "Which is a big killer with Parkinson's."

Fox's openness about his struggles with Parkinson's disease has helped to raise awareness of the disease. His advocacy has also helped to raise millions of dollars for Parkinson's disease research, which has led to significant breakthroughs in understanding the disease and developing new treatments, per RadarOnline.

His foundation attained a notable feat for becoming the largest non-profit funder of Parkinson's research, with over a billion dollar worth of projects focused on advancing research into the disorder.

The "Teen Wolf" star also insinuated that he thinks he'll die due to his health complications.

"You don't die from Parkinson's," he said. "You die with Parkinson's. So, I've been thinking about the mortality of it."

"I'm not gonna be 80," he shared. "I'm not gonna be 80."

During his recent chat with Stat News, the actor teased a massive breakthrough advancement in Parkinson's disease research.

"It's been a terrible year," he admitted to the news outlet before adding that, in some ways, he's "feeling better" now.

In the interview, Fox hinted at a "big reward" advancement in Parkinson's research but did not discuss the progress.

The study, published this month in The Lancet Neurology, discovered that an essential Parkinson's pathology could be identified by examining spinal fluid from living patients, allowing earlier intervention.

"It's all changed. It can be known and treated early on. It's huge," Fox shared. "This is the thing. This is the big reward. This is the big trophy."

Fox is set to release his new documentary, "STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie," on Friday, May 12th. The documentary will show never-seen-before footage of him as he recounts the years following his Parkinson's diagnosis.

Fox recently shared that he is struggling with a severe side effect of Parkinson's disease: he can't remember the women he dated.

In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the actor revealed that he struggles to remember the women he dated before marrying his wife, Tracy Pollan, in 1988.

"When I look at that period in the documentary, it just seems crazy," Fox, 61, told the publication. "Look at all the girls I dated. Some of them I can't even remember."

He added, "I dated Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles, and I can't even remember it, but that's just an example. Stuff like that happened all the time."