Name: Michael J. Fox Talks About His Parkinson's Diagnosis | Letterman
Uploaded: 2024-07-31T22:00:28.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Michael J. Fox Talks About His Parkinson's Diagnosis | Letterman' from Letterman on Comedy Buff. Published 2024-07-31. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Michael J. Fox Talks About His Parkinson's Diagnosis | Letterman' from Letterman on Comedy Buff. Published 2024-07-31. Transcript available.

Our first guest is the star of the very popular television program, Spin City.
Please welcome the lovely, the likable, Michael J. Fox.
Michael J. Fox.
That's great.
Let's go crazy.
Nice to have you on the show.
Thank you.
You know, I always think they just like, they like to hear Foxy Lady.
You know, this is the first time that I've had a chance to talk with, the first
time you've been on the show,
since you had your press conference and announced that you have Parkinson's
disease.
And I just, I think folks, well, you know, how's it been going since?
What was the reaction?
Pretty well, pretty much the same.
It didn't, didn't change.
I still have it.
You thought maybe by making the announcement?
I thought, you know, maybe it was, you know, something, it was last chance.
You know, last chance, I'm on the way to Barbara Walters now.
But no, it was good.
It was something that I've had for a long time, like seven or eight years.
And I hadn't really told many people about it.
And people were saying to me, you know, how could you keep that a secret?
And I thought, I didn't really think of it as a secret.
You know, it's like, who among us goes, you know, hi, I'm Bob, I have gout.
You know, you kind of, you know, you kind of, you know, you're the guys in the
band.
You're the guys in the band.
So, so, yeah.
So, I, and I'd mentioned, and I'd mentioned the show when I, when I talked
about it.
I did two things.
I did a People Magazine interview and, and talked to Barbara Walters because I
figured, you
know, that pretty much covers it.
You're set right there.
Everybody in, like, people in Zimbabwe are aware of my health.
So, so that, that was good.
And it was good letting people know, people that, that, you know, that I work
with and
stuff like that.
So they feel comfortable.
I'm guessing that there are probably two areas of reaction to people who, who
you don't know
who are your fans and people that you work with who didn't know, who, who
probably were,
were stunned and immediately sympathetic, maybe too sympathetic, if in fact
that can be applied
in this case.
Right.
And then there were the, the, the people who also share the disorder with you.
Well, it's interesting because there's a whole community that, that I hadn't
been a part
of, you know, other than, than obviously having a similar situation, a life
experience, but
hadn't really been in touch with them.
And so this has been a nice, a nice process for me, kind of getting to know
different groups
and what they do and how, how I can help.
It's also touchy too because, because of what I do and because of, because of
the, the things
that I have in my life and the things that are available to me.
It may look a little easier than it is for other folks that are, that are in
the same
situation that I'm in.
So.
That's right.
Because we see you on television shows and you look great, you're funny,
everything's
fine.
So when I say everything's cool with me, it doesn't necessarily mean that
someone that
you know, and maybe in the same situation, that, that they're being a jerk if
they say
they're having a hard time.
Because, you know, it's not necessarily a picnic.
But for me, it's a, you know, I'm able to do what I do.
It's about, it's about, I was going to say it's about timing drugs, which again
would refer
to the band.
It's all about timing those drugs.
Are there, are there, are there, were there moments immediately after you had
the announcement
when you just thought you said, oh geez, I wish I just kept this to myself.
Well, you know, there is that, there was that whole, like about a 48 hour
period where
there was nothing but my obituary on television, which was a little weird, you
know.
I would think so.
Because I didn't kind of know that, I mean, in all humility, I didn't think it
would be
that big a deal, you know.
But it was, you know, people calling me and saying it's on the cover of this.
And, and then I would get, you know, when you get, when you get phone messages
from
Dan Rather, you know, you know, you're, you know, something's going on.
A phone message from Dan Rather?
Dan Rather called on, oh my gosh.
So.
Did you call him back?
You know, I didn't, I didn't.
But, but the second wave of it was really cool.
When they, when they kind of got off me a little bit and it wasn't, and I didn't
have to watch
old, like, you know, clips from the first year of Family Ties and stuff on TV.
And, and it got into just people talking about Parkinson's and especially
because I think
it's like one in 10 or something under 40 because people think of it as
something that
affects older people.
So the fact that, that, that the, the disease and then also the, the fact that
younger people
are affected by it got so much attention to the press was, was an immediate
thing that
made me feel great.
And I felt like, well, if anything, if anything good could come of this, it
just did and hopefully
more will.
So can, can you give me a, a simple, easy to understand definition of what the
disorder
is?
It's a, a failure of the body, the system to do what?
To man, if part of your brain manufactures something called dopamine, which is
like the
way I, the way I describe it to my kid, it's like motor oil.
So it kind of makes everything work and makes everything run fluidly.
And so when it starts, stops manufacturing that, or at least processing it or
delivering
it, or it's not being received in the right way, then things start to break
down.
You get a little rigid, you, you, you, you get tremor, you can affect your
speech.
It can affect all kinds of things.
And it gradually gets worse.
And it's, it's progressive and it's, uh, uh, you know, you usually see with
older people
so that, so that it's a short kind of span.
There's not a lot of hope that things will get better sometimes with, you know,
folks in
their seventies or eighties, but for, for younger people, um, I really think
that, that I may,
you know, I may not be one of the first people to get this, but I'll be one of
the last people
to have it.
You think so?
Well, good.
Definitely.
They're making that much progress?
I think so.
And is it?
I mean, when you say it's, the body is not producing or delivering or receiving
the dopamine,
is it, is it just as simple as introducing synthesized dopamine into the system?
Well, that's, that's the short-term solution.
That's what I do on a day-to-day basis.
Um, hopefully, at some point, you know, there's all kinds of talk.
I mean, one of the things that they're talking about doing is finding a way to
put into the
brain new cells that will, uh, that will produce, you know, that learn how to
do that.
Um, and, and all kinds of other stuff they're doing.
I mean, it's, goes on and on and on.
There's all kinds of research going on.
And you, you went through an actual surgical procedure.
Yeah, that was to go, they kind of fixed a part of my brain that was, it was
firing
a lot.
It was causing a lot of, uh, tremor on my left side.
And it was really, it was kind of cool, you know.
Cool to have your brain fixed.
Well, it is, because I was awake, you know.
So, so they go and they, the only unpleasant thing is they strap this cage on
your head and
they bolt it in so your head doesn't move around.
You're actually conscious for this.
Yeah, well, you, you know, you're a little loopy.
God, I would hope so.
It gave you a little Valium or something, or a cocktail.
I don't know what it was.
But, uh, and then...
And how long does this last?
The, this procedure?
Yeah.
Uh, when they're actually, you go in, you get this thing put on, you sit in a
lazy boy
kind of thing.
Mm-hmm.
And they drill, top of your head.
Now, Michael, they don't drill in the...
Well, I actually, actually, you know, I think they use an electric one, but I
think...
With a nail gun.
I think they do some finesse work with one of these.
And then they, they get this, this probe thing and they put it in, in your
brain.
And it goes right in the middle of your brain.
And then they, um...
Right into the middle of your brain.
Yeah.
And then they have, they have these machines that tell you, you know, if they're
close.
Mm-hmm.
Because it's, they're sending out sound waves and things like that.
They, they can pinpoint the area that is...
Cells.
They find cells.
And then they're talking to you and, and when the machines aren't doing what
they're doing,
they're saying, like, what do you feel?
Like, how do you feel?
And, and weird stuff, because you'd be sitting there and all of a sudden you go...
And you go, and you go, oh man, that's not fair, man.
Oh, they're, they're doing it too?
Oh, they're doing stuff to your brain.
They could, you know, it's like, all of a sudden you're sitting there and you
go, oh, okay.
That's funny.
That's funny.
The wacky neurosurgeon.
One of these, one of these days the brain will be on the other foot, buddy.
And it was successful.
Yeah, it did.
It helped me with that particular thing, which is a, which is a big tremor I
had on the left side.
Wow.
It's just, it's all amazing.
It's pretty cool.
And, and obviously you would have chosen not to have to go through this
experience.
Yeah, if I...
But you have, and, and, and again, this is probably the, what you were talking
about earlier,
the wrong kind of message.
You seem great to me.
Well, I feel, I feel pretty good.
And the thing for me is, again, that, that my life has been so amazing and so
many great
things have happened to me.
I've got a great family.
I've got a job that I love.
Um, and, and, and, you know, things are good and I have a positive outlook.
So, you know, I don't look for a lighter load.
I just look for broader shoulders and we'll see what happens.
Nice going.
Nice going.
Good for you.
Now you've worked at the...
You've worked at ABC for a long time, haven't you?
Yeah, I have.
Places run by monkeys, right?
They all are, Dave.
Yeah, they all are.
Exactly.
They all are.
Sure.
Who would know better than this guy?
You worked at NBC, too.
Monkeys.
Monkeys.
Monkeys.
Uh, boy, congratulations on your, uh, Golden Globe Award.
Thank you.
That was, that was a very nice thing.
It was a good, it was a good night.
Yeah.
It was a good party.
Good to have you here.
Thank you.
And, uh, you know, you know, I, I don't know what to say to you because I, I
only see the
tip of this iceberg, but it just, uh, you're a very impressive man.
Well, thank you.
Thank you, Michael.
Nice to have you here.
Have a great fun.
Thank you.
We'll see you next time.