Terry Pratchett - Living with Alzheimer's

[Evil DM Mark3]

"There is terrible rumor going about that only geeks read Discworld and despite being a fully paid up Geek myself there are plenty of reasonably attractive women at my signings."

On the BBC via iplayer and part 2 coming Wednesay.

The man is legend. Hilarious and witty, even in the face of what he calls a living death.

[Phaedra]

Yeah, I watched this yesterday. Just made me admire him all the more. It was kind of painful and yet hopeful at the same time. He's dealing with it amazingly, and you can see he's thinking as sharply as always. It was a bit heart-wrenching to watch him struggle though - I was almost crying when he couldn't tie his tie. I'm a bit soft though. :smallsmile:

[DraPrime]

This is such a shame. When he dies, I will forever remember the man that made a camel the best mathematician in the world.

[littlebottom]

yeah i saw it too, the bit that got me was when he was doing the reading at the convention where he was trying so hard, but just couldnt read anymore...

although the shadow on the book was his head that was hillarious, he spent almost a minute of moving the mic stand and adjusting the book to find out it was his head :smallbiggrin:

[Sub_Zero]

yeah i saw it too, the bit that got me was when he was doing the reading at the convention where he was trying so hard, but just couldnt read anymore...


That bit really was sad :smallfrown:

But I'm glad to see he's fighting it and appears to be coping well enough. I've never actually heard his voice before and it wasn't quite how I expected it.

[Teela-Y]

When my boyfriend first told me about this... I nearly cried. I feel very down now.

He is one of our favorite writers... I love every single one of Pratchett's books, and he's brilliant at what he does. He is a big inspiration of mine. I wish they could find a cure...

[Z-dan]

I saw this... is indeed depressing, especially the book reading but also him trying to put on a tie...
However it also made me hate americans slightly (no offence to anyone here), just because the 'maverick' doctor who came up with the miracle cure reminded me of my old driving instructor, who managed to keep me terrified of the roads enough to keep me taking lessons for almost a year >.> (also, in the words of some guy from the telly, the one thing you dont want to be a 'maverick' is a doctor) and also because of the woman in the old folk's home who gave PTerry such a look of disdain when he said 'I'll try not to look like the duke of Edinburgh... sorry, it's an english thing' to which she replied 'just chill- that's californish'

But yeah... Still annoys me slightly when people say 'oh no! he's got alzheimers! he may as well be already dead...' he's still got plenty of life left in him yet- and he'll still keep turning out books. At least right now it's only affecting his vision...

[snoopy13a]

What is very surprising is:

1) He is only 60 years old

2) Longtitudal studies of nuns suggested that people with greater linguistic ability (as shown by autobiographies written in their 20s) have a lesser chance of developing Alzheimer's

[littlebottom]

I've never actually heard his voice before and it wasn't quite how I expected it.


ive met him in person, when i was a little younger, and before he was diagnosed, he turned up late to the signing... because he haad a signing in the morning somewhere else and he never turns away fans, so he just kept signing till every last person had come through, his an amazingly down to earth, great guy, and even if he wasnt famous or an auther, id be sad to see someone as kind and great as him leave us anyway :smallfrown:

[Z-dan]

What is very surprising is...
2) Longtitudal studies of nuns suggested that people with greater linguistic ability (as shown by autobiographies written in their 20s) have a lesser chance of developing Alzheimer's

I actually find that quite surprising... from seeing all this stuff about Alzheimers it seems to be the most intelligent of people that seem to get it... In that program alone there was Pratchett (one of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century), a guy that wrote books about quantum physics, an admiral in the US navy, and an architect to name but a few...

[BlueWizard]

I didn't know this... :smallfrown:

He was an original one, that is for sure, and deserves a special place in the fantasy hall of fame.

[Finn Solomon]

Of all the people in the world, it strikes one of the true comic geniuses of the modern era. Heartbreaking.

[bosssmiley]

What is very surprising is:

1) He is only 60 years old

2) Longtitudal studies of nuns suggested that people with greater linguistic ability (as shown by autobiographies written in their 20s) have a lesser chance of developing Alzheimer's

As the Great Sage himself told us: "Million-to-one chances turn up nine times out of ten." :smallamused:

[Moff Chumley]

:frown:

My grandmother just got diagnosed with Alzheimer's...

This is a very unhappy coincidence.

[dish]

I'm really sorry about your grandmother Moff.

My mother's friend's wife has early on-set Alzheimers. I've occasionally helped out by staying with her when he has to work and doesn't have a carer. This woman is only in her early fifties, and watching her struggling is really heart-breaking.

I saw Terry's programme when it was broadcast on the BBC. It was really heavy viewing. I hope they find that promised cure for the disease soon.

[Rockphed]

As the Great Sage himself told us: "Million-to-one chances turn up nine times out of ten." :smallamused:

As he also told us, "I ain't dead yet."

[Rotipher]

Shouldn't that be "I ATEN'T DEAD"? :smallamused:

[littlebottom]

this great man gave us too many quotes for every situation :smallbiggrin:

[Dervag]

You guys keep using the wrong tense.