Raven Gives Update on His Condition After Parkinson’s Diagnosis, Says It’s Manageable

Raven says that he’s feeling okay as he deals with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, noting it’s manageable so far. The ECW, WWE and WCW star revealed earlier this fall that he has been diagnosed with the condition. It’s one of a number of health issues Raven has had to manage along with a sleep disorder.

Raven spoke with Wrestling Life for a new interview and noted that he is managing the Parkinson’s well. He noted that he’s had it for almost a decade and that his sleep disorder is the bigger issue for him. You can see the highlights below:

On His Parkinson’s Diagnosis:

“Good, it’s good. It’s — I’ve had it for 10 years off and on. I say ‘off and on,’ even though that doesn’t make any sense, because I had a tremor for a couple years. Went to a neurologist. He said, ‘Try getting off the Depakote,’ a medication I was taking for sleeping, ‘and maybe it’ll go away. Because it’s it’s known to cause it.’ And so I got off it and it went away for a couple years. But then the tremor started coming back.

“But other than [the fact that] I have a small hitch in my gait, in my walk, mainly it’s just a tremor. So it’s not it’s not anything that’s not manageable.

On His Sleep Disorder:

“My sleep disorder is the worst part. Because I wake up exhausted. You know, I wake up as tired as when I went to bed because I wake up 15, 20 times a night.

“But on the plus side, at least I can fall back asleep usually immediately. Which — so I mean, I’m always trying to look at the positive. I try not to look at the negative. I try not to dwell on things like the negatives.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Wrestling Life with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.