Terry Pratchett has Alzheimers

Re: Bulletin from Terry - not good news.

I have just heard this terrible news an awful illness to have especially for someone of his genius. Alzheimer's is a very scary illness to have I speak from experience as my mother was diagnosed earlier this year and I've seen what a massive change it can cause. Hopefully something can be done as it is still at an early stage for him. I wish him and his family well and there is many more books to come
 
I like Terry's PS:

I would just like to draw attention to everyone reading the above that this should
be interpreted as 'I am not dead'. I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as
will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think - it's too soon to tell. I know it's a very human thing to say "Is there anything I can do", but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry.
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How sad, my best wishes to his family.

My grandpa has alzhiemers. He walks around naked. He spends a lot of time trying to dig up all the jars of money he buried--we don't know if he actually buried any money. He has a set of spoons that once belonged to Brittish royalty and he won't eat with any other spoon becuase he thinks people will steal them. My dad got them satellite tv and grandpa couldn't figure out where the nobs were so he threw the whole thing on the floor and broke it. He lost a lot of wieght and fell in the toilet and got stuck and grandma had to call 911 cuz she's in a wheelchair from arthritis. No, I'm not joking, but honestly, some of the things alzheimers patients do are funny, but sad at the same time.

Well, at least P. will get to meet all his favorite characters again.
 
As he says - he ain'g dead yet! Like any disease, it can be quick or it can be so slow it hardly seems to do anything bad. So let's hope it is the latter and he has many many years of good health yet!

Best wishes Terry.
 
Its awful news, horrible to see it happen to an author like this that are loved by so many.

I havent read him yet but i can feel for him in this as if i was a fan.
 
It is sad. I know someone with advanced Alzheimer's and it is painful to his family and he so obviously suffers. The worse part is knowing that you're very mind, the thing that makes you so unique, is going to decline. His family are also terrified. His brother gets in a lather if he forgets where he put his keys, he is so scared of going the same way.

This story was even featured in our daily newspapers, so Pratchett's fame goes a lot farther than I expected.

I have heard theories that the more active your mind, the less likely you will suffer it. I think this might scupper that one.
 
I am saddened to hear this, I have enjoyed Terry's humour for many years and I just hope a cure is found. But as he said he aint dead yet so while there is life there is hope. I think he should write an autobiography though I heard him talking about his time in the Nuclear Fuel business and while he only scratched the surface it was riveting.:(

Good luck mate:(
 
very sad.


don't take this the wrong way, but do you not wonder what Death will say to Mr Pratchett when they finally meet.
 
gully_foyle said:
I have heard theories that the more active your mind, the less likely you will suffer it. I think this might scupper that one.
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It is true that the more active your mind, the less likely you will suffer. But there is no threshold which says if you are this active you will not suffer. As with almost everything in life, there are no guarantees, only safer bets.

In about a year it should be clear whether he has the fast acting or slow acting kind, but both are horrible ways to die.
 
I love that he's stayed cheerful throughout it all. That's such a hard thing to do, especially with his illness, and he's done it.


You're an inspiration.


May you always remain bright, TP.
 
As someone who has just had to find a care home for my father, due to the increasing problems of his Alzheimer's, I can only say how truly sorry I was to hear about this.

But, as ever, Terry has an amazing ability to put a brave face on it - what an extraordinary bloke.
 
I'm sure we all think the same here and wish him all the best and hope its the slow version. His books have been a part of my life since The Colour of Magic first came out and I hope he can carry on for a long time yet.
 
I told a colleague at work, and he was like who's Terry Pratchett, does he do serious fantasty, dungeons and dragons and stuff?
Well, he's just gone 20 yer know....

Anyway, lets all raise a glass to Mr P! Long may you sail the seas of Discworld!
 
Looking at his typically witty announcement about his condition, I wouldn't put it past Terry to weave some gently humorous reference to it into one of his next books. If anyone could pull that off, he could. :)
 
greylin said:
Looking at his typically witty announcement about his condition, I wouldn't put it past Terry to weave some gently humorous reference to it into one of his next books. If anyone could pull that off, he could. :)
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Sure he could!

However, he could even do it more seriously, addressing issues that come with older age for many people. That would fit perfectly in the vein of more serious Discworld books.

I think that would be quite unprecedented in Fantasy. JD, could you enlighten us on this? Is fantasy always about the troubles of young people only?
 
Thadlerian said:
Sure he could!

However, he could even do it more seriously, addressing issues that come with older age for many people. That would fit perfectly in the vein of more serious Discworld books.

I think that would be quite unprecedented in Fantasy. JD, could you enlighten us on this? Is fantasy always about the troubles of young people only?
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If old men like JD and Pyan like it, it must not be about young people's troubles only...
 
I've seen his books on the shelves for years but I've only ever read Good Omens, which he did with Neil Gaiman. I love that book. Hilarious and a good story at the same time.

Sad to hear this news, but I do wish him well.
 
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