NFL great Brett Favre opens up about living with Parkinson's disease: 'I feel like a board'

"Overall, I feel - I can't complain. It's one of those things that I'm learning a lot about Parkinson's, and my Parkinson's was caught very early, very early." 

Favre, 55, revealed the news of his shocking health diagnosis during his testimony at a congressional hearing on federal welfare reform. 

"Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others," he said at the time. "I'm sure you'll understand, while it's too late for me, because I've recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's, this is also a cause dear to my heart."

Favre considers himself fortunate because of the early detection, but he still experiences difficult symptoms.

"I don't shake very bad, the medication - when I'm on it, you would never know. But I don't want to keep taking medication for the next 30, 40 years if I live that long. But it is what it is. 

"All things considered, I'm a very blessed man," he added. 

According to the Parkinson's Foundation, scientists believe that the disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and those environmental factors "may include head injuries, pesticide exposure or area of residence."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.