It was an ordinary day. Reading about Michael J. Fox's battle with Parkinson's which began in 1991. The actor was on location in Florida filming the movie "Doc Hollywood" when he began to notice a persistent "twitch" in his left pinkie that just wouldn't go away. In six months, the twitch had spread to his entire hand, and for some reason, his shoulder had become stiff. After consulting neurologist and undergoing tests, the 30-year-old was told that he was suffering from the early stages of Parkinson's disease.. Further tests and more opinions confirmed the diagnosis. For years he kept his symptoms private. His career progressed, and so did his disease. Eventually, the tremors affected his entire left side, becoming so uncontrollable at times that, he later told a reporter, he "could mix a margarita in five seconds." In September of 1998 he went public with his Parkinson's, talking candidly about his private seven-year battle with the disease. "For those seven years, I had kept my P.D. close, as I'd been taught to keep all my enemies close. That was how I viewed the disease. I'd make it a private battle, a knife fight in a dark closet. I already had the understanding of my wife, Tracy, our kids; our extended family; and the unflinching support of friends, doctors, and co-workers. What I craved was the company of other people with Parkinson's and the freedom to move around in the world without having to hide my symptoms. I don't kid myself ... that will change. Physical and mental exhaustion will become more and more of a factor, as will increased rigidity, tremor, and dyskinesia. I can expect my 40s to face challenges most wouldn't expect until their 70s or 80s, if ever." Well, Michael, I wish you the best in the future. I am going to be reaching my 80s in another month and find it gets harder and harder to walk without being hunched over due to a constant pain in my back. I've been told that will probably never go away and to get used to it. I can put up with the pain, but I feel so self-conscious that I have to be bent over most of the time. Makes me look and feel like I'm an old man. But, than again, that is what in reality I really am. I wish you the best Michael and hope you can still have many good years of life left in you. You are much younger than me and deserve to live a much better life than you are now. If.....only they could find a treatment for you. Best Wishes....LDub! Its was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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