Posted on 03/16/2008 11:56:20 PM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert
My sainted FDR-liberal grandma was afflicted with Alzheimer’s, and did not recognize me for the last few years of her life. It is a very unpleasant disease, although I can’t say she ever really suffered. She was no more than a shell of a human being by the end, but she was comfortable and pain-free and surrounded by people who loved her even if she didn’t know who they were.
I'm saving this line because it is so purely Terry -- too bad it's a bit long for a tagline.
Some of them wanted to sell me snake oil and I'm not necessarily going to dismiss all of these, as I have never found a rusty snake.
He’s one of my favorites as well. At the moment I have several of his books lent out to different people who are just getting started. The first bag’s always free!
He’s right about the cancer v. Alzheimer’s - I’ve seen both in my own family and cancer IS ‘better.’
I checked the original site for a researcher to donate money to, and don’t see one - do you have a link?
Save.
Going Postal bump!
I just started reading ‘Good Omens’ for my class on the apocalypse, and I have to say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’ve read a little of his other stuff, but I was really sick at the time and on painkillers so I can’t remember much about it, except that I found it really funny (Well, at that point the meds made most things really funny, but his books were still funnier than pretty much everything else).
Sad to hear. His novels are pretty good. They finally made one (Hogfather?) into a movie. I hope he gets good treatment. I think there was a new treatment out using Enbriel or something like that.
We lost my dad just over 6 months ago; he also had dementia, but his was more age-related brain atrophy stuff (age 94).
This disease is one of nature's cruel little tricks. I'm still not quite right with God -- but maybe I better fix it, because of my gene pool....sigh
Hi, don’t know if you’re still interested but the charity Terry gave to and is supporting is called The Alzheimer’s Research Trust based in the UK - all the money goes towards funding scientists but its not a cuddly charity obviously - no one wants to think about things like this. So any donations are welcome!
link is www.alzheimers-research.org.uk
Hi Louise
I am writing in appreciation of your remarks on being in contact/experience of Alzheimers.
I find it pleasing that such a fine man as Terry Pratchett can seek to help so many people who are unable to afford the medicine they need - I hope to make my post a public one.
Because I need to know opinions from others - could my Mother - who succumbed to dementia - closely allied to Alzheimers - have been “helped” on her way by the brutality doled out to her by my Stepfather.
I find it frightening - Louise - there is such cruelty
There are a bunch of film-like things made from Pratchett’s books, but since someone mentioned the Hogfather, I should note that The Colour of Magic/The Light Fantastic was made into a similar quality production. See Wikipedia for more Pratchett adaptations.
Thanks so much for posting this speech. My dad has just been diagnosed with early on-set alzhemeirs aged 55 and posts like this about Terry are a real help. I wish there was some way to communicate with him directly, I want to thank him for making the programme he did for the BBC. In some ways I wish he hadn’t because it was the thing that prompted me to ask the medics to look into my dads supposed depression further, which has uncovered this dreadful disease, but in other ways I realise it was the best thing to do because at least he is now on tablets to help slow it down, which hopefully will lead to some extra years with him. Which is so important to me as I’m a daddys girl with the best dad in the world and any extra moments I can have with him and his love the better and richer i know my life will be.
Thanks once again
Big hugs
Laura
xxx
As for contacting Terry Pratchett, he is quite approachable, which is a little unusual in such a well-known author. (He actually let my husband and I take him to lunch one time at a SF convention! Which was too cool for words.) You could try mailing a letter to his publisher, or he used to lurk and occasionally post on the L-Space board ... do a little research using the words L-space or his old handle, Pterry, and you may turn up a way to email him. He also still does a lot of signings of his books, so you might be able to see him in person sometime.
BTW, the Match It For Pratchett web link provided in your forum post now links to a Thai gambling website. I am having trouble finding a legitimate link at this time.
Good to know. However, you may notice that post is FIVE years old. Things do change on the Internet.
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