Ozzy Osbourne has Parkinson's Disease: Will he be able to perform his music?
"I feel better now that I've owned up to the fact that I have a case of Parkinson's. And I just hope (my fans) hang on and they're there for me because I need them."~Ozzy Osbourne
When you hear the words Parkinson's Disease, you first think of tremors. Yes, in many cases that's what defines the disease. However, it's not always the case. There are many other symptoms, some that only the person suffering from the disease can see. That's why there's is no typical case of Parkinson's Disease.
In an interview with Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America", Ozzy Osbourne and his family revealed that he was diagnosed with PRKN 2, which is a form of Parkinson's. He's shown symptoms of the disease for the last fifteen years, but was given this diagnosis after suffering a major fall in 2019. Falls are common with Parkinson's because balance problems are one of the major issues of P.D.
Osbourne said that he has a mild form and is taking light medication to help him manage the disease. It sounds like he's in the early stage of the disease.
Sharon Osbourne told GMA: "It's not a death sentence but it affects certain nerves in your body. You have a good day, a good day, then a really bad day."
Again, that's typical in the early stages. You're feeling good for a few days and thinking there's nothing to it. Then that one bad day hits you. That's one of the reasons Parkinson's affects your mental well-being almost as much as the physical effects.
Ozzy Osbourne wants to continue to perform. He has a U.S. tour scheduled to start in May. His last concert was on New Year's Eve of 2018. He then suffered the fall which led to surgery on his neck. He's not the first musician to have Parkinson's. The results have varied.
Linda Ronstadt's illness attacked her vocal chords. It ended her recording and concert career. Neil Diamond announced he was retiring from performing because of Parkinson's, but he would continue to write and record music. Maurice White continued to play drums for almost a decade after his symptoms of Parkinson's began.
If Osbourne recovers from his neck injury and his medication continues to control his symptoms, there's no reason he can't get back on the stage. He'll probably have to slow down. No thirty shows in thirty nights in thirty different cities anymore. Also, because Parkinson's is a progressive disease, there's no timetable as to how long he'll be able to perform. It could be a year, it could be ten. No one knows. But, if he wants to bite the head off a bat again, having Parkinson's Disease won't stop him.
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