Billy Connolly shares heartbreaking struggles in his battle with Parkinson's disease
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VanessaC
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Sir Billy Connolly and his wife, Pamela Stephenson, have shared a grim health update for the Scottish comedian after his decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Connolly and Stephenson opened up about how the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease have caused a 'deterioration' in his balance which has led to 'a couple of serious falls'.
Connolly, 80, revealed he now finds it increasingly hard to take long walks due to the debilitating disease. He said: 'That was never such a problem before, but in the last year that has come and it has stayed.'
'For some reason, I thought it would go away because a lot of the symptoms have come and gone away.'
This only added to Connolly’s 'list of things that hold [him] back', such as taking long walks.
'I feel like I want to go for a walk, but I go for 50 yards [45 metres], and I want to go home because I’m tired,' he shared.
'I’m being encroached upon by this disease.'
'It’s creeping up behind me and stopping me [from] doing things. It’s a cruel disease.'
The comedian, known for his energetic stage performances, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013—the same day he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
These illnesses have led to his retirement from doing live performances in 2018.
Connolly and Stephenson also shared how their relationship has changed since his diagnosis. Stephenson now helps him get dressed every morning and gives him a ride to places due to his inability to drive.
Despite this, she described Connolly’s disease as 'pretty slow-moving'.
'Really, really slow-moving, but that doesn’t make it any more pleasant,' Connolly replied.
In other news, a new AI tool that can predict Parkinson’s disease with up to 96 per cent accuracy was released in a research published in ACS Central Science.
The tool can detect the disease up to 15 years before a clinical diagnosis based on the analysis of chemicals in the blood.
While this AI tool showed promise for accurate early diagnosis, it also revealed chemicals that were strongly linked to a correct prediction.
You can read more about this technology here.
Members, if you or anyone you know is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, share this link with them for more information on the disease and for support: https://www.parkinsons.org.au/.
Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below!
Connolly and Stephenson opened up about how the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease have caused a 'deterioration' in his balance which has led to 'a couple of serious falls'.
Connolly, 80, revealed he now finds it increasingly hard to take long walks due to the debilitating disease. He said: 'That was never such a problem before, but in the last year that has come and it has stayed.'
'For some reason, I thought it would go away because a lot of the symptoms have come and gone away.'
This only added to Connolly’s 'list of things that hold [him] back', such as taking long walks.
'I feel like I want to go for a walk, but I go for 50 yards [45 metres], and I want to go home because I’m tired,' he shared.
'I’m being encroached upon by this disease.'
'It’s creeping up behind me and stopping me [from] doing things. It’s a cruel disease.'
The comedian, known for his energetic stage performances, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2013—the same day he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
These illnesses have led to his retirement from doing live performances in 2018.
Connolly and Stephenson also shared how their relationship has changed since his diagnosis. Stephenson now helps him get dressed every morning and gives him a ride to places due to his inability to drive.
Despite this, she described Connolly’s disease as 'pretty slow-moving'.
'Really, really slow-moving, but that doesn’t make it any more pleasant,' Connolly replied.
In other news, a new AI tool that can predict Parkinson’s disease with up to 96 per cent accuracy was released in a research published in ACS Central Science.
The tool can detect the disease up to 15 years before a clinical diagnosis based on the analysis of chemicals in the blood.
While this AI tool showed promise for accurate early diagnosis, it also revealed chemicals that were strongly linked to a correct prediction.
You can read more about this technology here.
Key Takeaways
- Sir Billy Connolly has revealed a serious setback in his decade-long battle with Parkinson's disease, reporting a new symptom—loss of balance.
- Connolly has suffered a ‘couple of serious falls' due to this new symptom.
- The deterioration in balance has significantly impacted Connolly's lifestyle, as it restricts his ability to take long walks and has forced him to stop driving.
- His wife, Pamela Stephenson, who is also his carer, revealed that the disease has significantly changed their relationship, with her now assisting Connolly with daily tasks such as getting dressed and providing transportation.
Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below!