TVG: How involved are you in your own care?

MJF: [I’m involved] to the extent I know what the drugs are and what they do. And I’ve also had [brain surgery] that helped me tremendously. But anybody who has Parkinson’s is only the expert on their Parkinson’s. Because it’s a very idiosyncratic, anomalous condition.

TVG: So you’re not intimidated by that. You want to know it all?

MJF: Oh, absolutely. The reason I have a sunny disposition is that I’m equal parts optimistic and realistic.

TVG: How did you tell your children about this?

MJF: There’d be little tiny things, like they’ll say, "Can you read a story?" And if I’m between doses of medication, there’s a transition period where it’s sometimes difficult to have some dexterity. And I’ll say, "Yeah, I can read to you. You’ve got to hold the book." And they’ll say, "Why?" And I’ll say, "Because I’ll have a hard time holding it right now." And that’s about all you can do with my 5-year-olds. With my son, who has always been scientifically oriented, he has a book — that big brain book. And I take the thing out and go, "This makes this stop, and it doesn’t make it [stop] for me." When I had my surgery, I talked to him about it. [I] could be very matter-of-fact.

TVG: Was he worried?

MJF: No, he hasn’t said so. But a little while ago I was having a conversation with him, and my right hand was tremoring a bit, and he was listening to me. And he was right in my eyes. He didn’t break. He just put his hand on my hand and kept listening to me. And it was this great moment. I finished the conversation and walked away. I said [to Tracy], "I had no idea that anyone could be that empathetic." He was just kind of saying, "You know, it’s fine. Don’t be distracted by that because it has nothing to do with us." In a way I’m grateful for [having the disease]. Because there wasn’t this balance. When you’re 29 years old, which is the age I was when I was diagnosed, and you’ve had a winning streak like I had — [it feels] right that I would get a bag of hammers. Not to get too mawkish about it, but I didn’t become a man until I had this. And it has given me kind of a serenity and a clarity that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. But all said and done, I’m not going to run out of money. There’s steaks in the fridge and life is good.