Michael J. Fox Compares Parkinson Disease To "An Unruly Child"

Michael J. Fox says his Parkinson's disease is like an unruly child. The "Back to the Future" star - who was diagnosed with the incurable illness 18 years ago - refuses to let his condition get the better of him but admits it is a battle to cope with its effects every day.

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Fox, 47, told talk show host Oprah Winfrey: "This is one fact of my life, but it's not the totality of my life. I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm an activist, I'm a writer and I'm just a student of the world."

"As much as I love kids, it's like having a four-year-old climbing on you all the time. You're just trying to be patient and focus."

Showing how dexterous he remains despite the disease - which often impairs the sufferer's ability to move, their speech, and other motor functions - Fox took to the ice and skated for a segment on the show.

The actor - who is releasing a new book "Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" - said: "I can skate better than I can walk."

Fox - who has four children, Sam, 19, 14-year-old twins Aquinnah and Schuyler and Esme, seven, with his wife Tracy Pollan - recently revealed he doesn't miss his acting days.

Fox, who admitted he would watch one of his movies if he saw himself on TV, said: "There's no longing in it. There's not this deep feeling of loss or anything."

"It's just like, acknowledgement that that was part of what brought me to where I am now, and it was pretty fun."