Alan Alda stays positive, despite his diagnosis

Best known for the role of Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce in the war comedy-drama television series M*A*S*H, actor Alan Alda, 86, is a six-time Emmy award winner whose career as an actor, screenwriter, and director spans almost seven decades.

Back in 2018, Alda opened up about his health and revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This news was devastating to say the least, but Alda never let the diagnosis affect the person he has always been.

According to Alda, in order to keep the symptoms at bay, he relies on exercises and a lot of movement.

Among the rest, he revealed he’s been taking boxing lessons three times a day.

In an 2020 interview with Good Morning America, Alda spoke of the symptoms he had experienced before he urged himself to visit a doctor.

“In 2015, I read an article in the New York Times by Jane Brody, in which a couple of doctors said some of their Parkinson’s patients had one particular early symptom, and it’s an unusual one: People act out their dreams while they’re asleep. I realised I had done just that,” he said.

“I had dreamed somebody was attacking me, and in the dream I threw a sack of potatoes at him. In reality, I threw a pillow at my wife.”

“So, believing there was a good chance I had Parkinson’s, I went to a neurologist and asked for a brain scan.

“He examined me and said, ‘I don’t think you need a scan. You don’t have any symptoms.’ I said, ‘Well, I’d really like the scan anyway.’ And he called me back and said, ‘Boy, you really got it.’”

Alda believes it is very important for people not to get depressed upon hearing the diagnosis. Although they don’t know what the future holds and how fast the disease would progress, they need to find a motivation to keep strong.

“To live a normal life, you must adapt. It has to be solved like a puzzle. I like to solve problems,” this proclaimed actor says.

He always chooses to stay optimistic and does all in his power to raise awareness about Parkinson’s and teach the wide public how much has been done in the fight against this disease throughout the years.

For more, go to the video below.

Please SHARE this story with your family and friends on Facebook.

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Monica Pop
Monica Pop
Monica Pop is a senior writer for Bored Daddy magazine covering the latest trending and popular articles across the United States and around the world.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

RFK Jr. adviser shares shock theory for Trump’s ‘dementia’

Just a while ago, President Donald Trump has undergone his first physical examination which also involved a cognitive assessment. The five-hour medical exam took place...

Discover the miracle drink that helps seniors rebuild knee cartilage quickly

Cartilage is a flexible, sturdy tissue that cushions your bones and joints. It helps absorb shocks so your body can move smoothly without injury. My...

What causes night cramps and how to fix the problem

Muscle cramps are sudden spasms of the muscles that cause pain. And while they are not usually harmful, they cause an uncomfortable feeling due...

The Baby Who ‘Defied’ Birth Control: A Viral Story of Fate and Surprise

A Newborn Holds the Contraceptive That Was Meant to Prevent His Birth — A Medical Marvel from Vietnam What started as a routine birth at...

America’s Most Lethal Bunker-Busting Mission Sends Global Shockwaves

Silent Strike in the Skies: America’s B-2 Bombers Over Iran In hushed conversations within military and intelligence networks, one story dominates: a covert U.S. operation...

After her husband insists on being alone with her son, a mom installs a secret camera and uncovers the truth

When Laura married Jeffrey, she somehow knew he was the person who could make her and her son's life complete. It didn't take long...