NFL legend Brett Favre shares update on tough battle with Parkinson's disease
NFL legend Brett Favre offered an update on his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease on Monday during the latest episode of his podcast.
Favre revealed in September 2024 he was diagnosed with the illness as he testified in front of Congress about welfare reform. Since then, he’s kept his battle with the disease close to the vest.
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As he talked about Philip Rivers coming back to play in the NFL at 44, Favre believed he could have played at least one series until he was about 50. Favre said he was working out rigorously until he began dealing with his health battle.
"I’m probably like most people – I thought there was just one Parkinson’s and that was it. There’s not. There’s multiple, many forms of Parkinson’s," he said on "4th and Favre." "And I have what’s called idiopathic, which is the most common. And I think the other thing most people think when they hear of Parkinson’s is they think of shaking.
"I get from time to time, ‘Oh you must not be too bad because you don’t shake.’ I have very little shaking. I have some, but it’s pretty rare. But as I’ve learned, the Parkinson’s that I have has three different characteristics. One of those three you’ll have as the dominant side effect. It’s cognitive and memory is one. Shaking and tremors is two. And rigidity and stiffness is three. I major in the rigidity and stiffness."
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The former Green Bay Packers star said he wakes up stiff until he takes his medication.
"So, when I wake up in the morning before I take my medicine, I’m as close to a 2 by 4 as you could possibly get. And once I take my medicine, it’s like the muscles and the joints kind of ease their grip on me. When I get fatigued, mainly toward the end of the day, I do shake a little bit. My cognitive memory – part of it, right now it’s OK. As you well know, there’s no cure. I hear from time to time, ‘Well, they’re five years away from a cure.’ I hope that that’s the case. But I’m not holding my breath."
Favre, 56, played in the NFL from 1991 to 2010. He was with the Packers, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings in those 20 years.
He passed for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdown passes. He won one Super Bowl title with the Packers.
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