CBC Radio's Andy Barrie diagnosed with Parkinson's disease

Popular CBC Radio host Andy Barrie revealed to his listeners Friday morning that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain disorder.

"About a year ago, I started to notice that my walking wasn't working the way it used to, and that my handwriting wasn't looking the way it should," the host of Toronto's Metro Morning said.

"Whether's it's me, or Muhammad Ali or Michael J. Fox, every single case of Parkinson's is different."

Barrie, 62,said that, according to his doctors at Toronto Western Hospital, he is at an early stage of Parkinson's, and that "there's no reason to believe I shouldn't be able to function in every way I love to for years and years to come."

"And that will include, at least for the next three years I hope, waking you up every morning, as long as my old bod allows me to keep answering that 4 a.m. wake up call."

Barrie informed radio staffers abouthis diagnosis after the end of the Thursday edition of Metro Morning and sent an e-mail to others shortly afterwards.

"Michael J. Fox went seven years before he finally revealed his early-onset Parkinson's. I read Michael's book, and concluded I didn't want to make this a secret. So I'm now coming out as a guy with a disability," Barrie wrote.

"Disabled, but not unable."

Barrie, who has hosted the regional Toronto morning radio show for 12 years, said on-air Friday that he is taking much of the summer off to "chill out" and is scheduled to return in mid-August.

The American-born Barrie has been a Canadian broadcaster for more than 30 years. Hehasworked at Global Television, and radio stations CJAD in Montreal and CFRB in Toronto. He joined the CBC in 1995 to host Metro Morning, which has grown to become the top-rated morning radio show in the city.