Michael J. Fox on his difficult year of injuries: “It’s been a struggle”

Michael J. Fox has opened up about a number of injuries he’s endured over the past year.

The actor, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, shared in an interview with People that he’s been recovering from numerous broken bones.

“It got worse,” Fox told the outlet. “I broke my cheek, then my hand, then my shoulder, had a replacement shoulder put in and broke my [right] arm, then I broke my elbow. I’m 61 years old, and I’m feeling it a little bit more.”

After undergoing surgery for his broken hand, the actor said he was prone to balance issues and falls, which led him to become “very cranky and short with people”.

“I try to nip it in the bud,” Fox added. “I always think of these aides who work with me. And I often say to them, ‘Whatever I say, just imagine I said ‘please’ at the beginning and ‘thank you’ at the end. Just take a second and absorb that I might have said that if I was more myself, but I didn’t, so I apologise’.”

Speaking about his recovery, Fox explained the last of his injuries are “healing up”, adding: “Now, the whole mission is: Don’t fall down. So whatever works to not fall down, whether it’s a walker or a wheelchair, a cane, a guy with a belt around my waist holding onto it – I use all those tools.”

Reflecting on the past year, Fox said: “It’s been a struggle, but I’m happy. I say that because I hope on some level people can find happiness in spite of what they’re going through.”

The actor, best known for starring in Back To The Future, is set to receive an honorary Oscar next month for his work as an advocate of Parkinson’s research.

In 2000, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is now the world’s leading research organisation for the condition.

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