Ozzy Osbourne, 73, Opens Up About the ‘Agony’ of Parkinson’s Disease
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Ozzy Osbourne gets candid about his battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The musician, 73, faces physical symptoms, like walking issues, and mental symptoms, like depression.
“I feel like I’m walking around in lead boots,” Osbourne said of his experience with the disease.
Ozzy Osbourne has faced a number of health challenges, from contracting COVID-19 to a neck operation to dealing with symptoms related to his battle with Parkinson’s disease. Though the “Patient Number 9” singer has recently made headlines over revealing that he will return to England due to U.S. gun violence, the 73-year-old is also speaking out about his overall health. The star recently revealed the physical and mental challenges that accompany Parkinson’s, and what it’s like to live with the disease.
After Osbourne’s “very major [neck] operation,” which his wife, Sharon Osbourne previously said “would determine the rest of his life,” the Black Sabbath rocker faced some complications. He now experiences nerve pain, per an interview with The Guardian. “It got so bad that at one point I thought: ‘Oh God, please don’t let me wake up tomorrow morning.’ Because it was f*cking agony,” he explained.
The side effects from the surgery only added to the difficulties Ozzy already faced with Parkinson’s. Some of his symptoms include motor issues, like walking. “You think you’re lifting your feet, but your foot doesn’t move,” he explained in the same interview. “I feel like I’m walking around in lead boots.”
Depression is another Parkinson’s-related symptom that Ozzy deals with. He explained that he “reached a plateau,” where “nothing really felt great,” which prompted him to begin taking antidepressants. “You learn to live in the moment,” Ozzy continued. “You don’t know when you’re gonna wake up and you ain’t gonna be able to get out of bed. But you just don’t think about it.”
The rocker first revealed his diagnosis in 2020, which he said was “terribly challenging” in an interview with Good Morning America, while his wife, Sharon, explained: “There’s so many different types of Parkinson’s; it’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body. And it’s—it’s like you have a good day, and then a really bad day.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, resulting in both motor and non-motor symptoms including tremors, limb rigidity, cognitive impairment, depression, and balance issues.
Thankfully, Ozzy says Sharon has been a wonderful support system throughout his health battles. “Without my Sharon, I’d be f*cking gone,” Ozzy said. “We have a little row now and then, but otherwise we just get on with it.” Sharon told The Guardian that a goal of her’s is to find a personal trainer to help with Ozzy’s muscle “atrophy,” and increase his strength. “He’ll never be what he was, but he will be good,” she explained.
After everything the rocker and living legend has gone through thus far, he still aims to go on tour. “You have not seen the end of Ozzy Osbourne, I promise you,” he told The Guardian. “If I have to go up there and die on the first song, I’ll still be back the next day.”
We’re all rooting for Ozzy. And we can’t wait to see him take the stage again.
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