Michael J. Fox said living with Parkinson’s disease is “getting harder” and speculated about how long he might live.
Fox opened up during an interview with Jane Pauley on “CBS Sunday Morning.” Though the interview will air Sunday, select excerpts from the conversation were released Friday.
Michael J. Fox is candidly speaking out about his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Fox, 61, addressed the challenges he faces daily with the incurable disease and said he doesn’t believe he’ll live to be 80 years old.
“My life is set up so … I can pack Parkinson’s along with me if I have to,” Fox said during an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning.
“[Parkinson’s] banging on the door… I’m not going to lie, it’s getting hard. It’s getting harder. It’s getting tougher. Every day it’s tougher … that’s the way it is. I mean, you know, who do I see about that?”
As “The Back to the Future” star suffers from the disease, he reflected on his perspective of mortality.
“You don’t die from Parkinson’s. You die with Parkinson’s … I’ve been thinking about the mortality of it.… I’m not going to be 80. I’m not going to be 80.”
Fox continued to reveal how Parkinson’s has deeply impacted his life after a life-altering surgery.
“I had spinal surgery. I had a tumor on my spine … it was benign, but it messed up my walking … then, started to break stuff … broke this arm, and I broke this arm, I broke this elbow. I broke my face. I broke my hand,” he continued to tell the media outlet.
Fox has opened up about his daily experiences with Parkinson’s disease in the past, including in November 2021 when he spoke to AARP Magazine.
“Still, it’s hard to explain to people how lucky I am, because I also have Parkinson’s,” Fox told the outlet. “Some days are a struggle. Some days are more difficult than others. But the disease is this thing that’s attached to my life — it isn’t the driver.”