At 86, Alan Alda, who is best known for his role as a doctor during World War II in the classic dramatic sitcom MASH, is now regarded as a veteran of Hollywood. But in 2018, the adored actor disclosed that he had received a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis three years earlier. Today, Alda is talking openly about the “most difficult difficulty” of having the condition and how, despite how his goals have remained the same since his diagnosis, his attitude toward life has changed. Please read on to learn more about his Parkinson’s disease case, the aspect he finds most difficult, and what he’s doing to slow the disease’s progression.
Alda was given a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2015 after this peculiar symptom was discovered.
Alda read a 2015 article in The New York Times that described a peculiar Parkinson’s symptom that some of their patients had: they were prone to physically acting out their dreams while they were still asleep, a condition known as REM sleep behavior disorder. “I realized I had done exactly that,” Alda said to AARP Magazine in 2020. When I dreamed that someone was attacking me, I threw a sack of potatoes at him. In her direction, I threw a pillow. “.
I visited a specialist and asked for a brain scan after becoming convinced that I had Parkinson’s disease. Alda persisted even after the doctor advised him against getting the scan because he didn’t exhibit the usual symptoms. “Wow, you got it,” he said when he called me back, the actor claims. The “greatest challenge” he had faced since being diagnosed, he claimed, had been this. Alda claims that since getting his diagnosis, he has lived a life that is unquestionably “full”: he has kept performing, launched a well-liked podcast, and treasured the additional time with his family that he was able to spend during the pandemic’s quarantine period.
According to Alda, tying shoelaces can be difficult with stiff fingers when asked by People what the most difficult part of having Parkinson’s is. He said, “Put on your mittens and try to play the violin.”. The actor thinks that instead of forcing happiness or wallowing in misery, he focuses on accepting his unique set of circumstances. Being either upbeat or downbeat about anything is pointless. He told AARP, “You just have to surf uncertainty because that’s all we have.”. The good news, he told People, is that he was growing more confident that he could always come up with a solution. “I’m more confident than ever that life is constantly changing, adjusting, and reinventing itself. “.
He asserts that his Parkinson’s “may be slowed. But seven years after receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis, Alda told People he’s still feeling great and doing great. I’m feeling great and moving forward, he reportedly said to the outlet. He said, “[I’m] doing everything I can to stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease, which can be slowed with effort. He spends a lot of time working out and receiving physical therapy, as well as “preparing for my podcast, chasing the geese off my grass, playing chess with Arlene [his 65-year-old wife], and binge-watching Scandinavian TV series,” according to his daily schedule. “.
For his long-term health, he thinks exercise is crucial. Alda claims that he maintains motor control by jogging, biking, and walking on a treadmill as part of his physical fitness routine. I often dance to the music. A man who has received Parkinson’s treatment teaches me how to box. I perform a full-body workout designed specifically for this condition. It’s not the end of the world if you get this diagnosis. He wants people to realize that a Parkinson’s diagnosis does not spell certain death.
Alda claims that in order to tell a fresh tale about what a Parkinson’s diagnosis can entail, he decided to be open about his health. He told the Wall Street Journal, “One of the reasons I talk about it in public is to eliminate some of the stigmas because I know people who have just been diagnosed who feel like their lives are gone, and they’re startled and devastated. “Becoming depressed is a common reaction, but it’s not necessary. You still have time to live, even though things could be much worse. Instead of dying from it, you die in it. “.
Laughing often helps The Marriage Story star keep a positive outlook on life. “Laugh! Having fun is healthy. One of the main benefits of this pandemic isolation is that. I’m laughing like never before with my wife. You expose yourself when you laugh. You’re exposing yourself. Despite the fact that you are not safe, being vulnerable has many advantages. We all get closer when you let the other person in, he continued, adding, “Even now, we can’t take ourselves too seriously. “.
