M*A*S*H Star Alan Alda Gets Candid on Parkinson’s at 90: ‘I Gotta Accept’

Alan Alda opens up about his battle with Parkinson’s disease. The 90-year-old spoke about the earlier symptoms of the disease, which weren’t very well known, when he first noticed it at 79. He also added how he came to terms with reality and how his medical journey is going.

Alan Alda reflects on his Parkinson’s diagnosis and life at 90

In a conversation with CBS News, Alda reflected on how he had a lesser-known symptom of Parkinson’s disease early on. He said, “Acting out your dreams. I had a dream that somebody was attacking me. And I picked up a sack of potatoes and threw it at ’em. What I was really doing was throwing a pillow at Arlene, my wife.” He added that he had no tremor or twitch and had no struggles with his voice.

After learning about his diagnosis, Alda remained candid about it in public and also developed a positive outlook on the situation. He said, “I really think reality is my friend. I don’t want to wish it away,” before adding, I can’t wish it away. I can’t hope for a better future. I gotta accept what is.” It is to be noted that there’s no definitive cure for this disease; however, it could be tackled with medical and other treatments.

The actor shared that he doesn’t let the disease he’s diagnosed with define himself. He doesn’t think that the disease is all he is but rather treats it like a side hobby. “Very important, because the best way to deal with anything that’s a little bit of a problem is to find out what’s funny about it and laugh at it,” he elaborated, referring to how he is dealing with this condition so far. Alda announced his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2018 first.