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Terry Pratchett

Novelist

United Kingdom · 1948–2015

English novelist, best known for the forty-one Discworld books, whose work has sold more than eighty-five million copies. He announced in December 2007 that he had been diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy, a rare variant of early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and spent his remaining years writing, funding dementia research and arguing publicly for a legal right to an assisted death. He died of natural causes at home in March 2015.

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Question What scares you about getting older? Time & hindsight read 54 other answers →

When my father was in his terminal year, I discussed death with him. I recall very clearly his relief that the cancer that was taking him was at least allowing him "all his marbles". Dementia in its varied forms is not like cancer. Dad saw the cancer in his pancreas as an invader. But Alzheimer's is me, unwinding, losing trust in myself, a butt of my own jokes and on bad days capable of playing hunt the slipper by myself and losing. You can't battle it, you can't be a plucky "survivor". It steals you from yourself. And I'm 60; that's supposed to be the new 40.

Recorded Written for the Alzheimer's Society in 2008; reprinted by the Observer in the week of his death, The Guardian, 2008 source ↗

Question What is the most important lesson life has taught you? Time & hindsight read 80 other answers →

It occurred to me that at one point it was like I had two diseases – one was Alzheimer's and the other was knowing I had Alzheimer's. There were times when I thought I'd have been much happier not knowing, just accepting that I'd lost brain cells and one day they'd probably grow back or whatever. It is better to know, though, and better for it to be known, because it has got people talking, which I rather think was what I had in mind.

Recorded Written for the Alzheimer's Society in 2008; reprinted by the Observer in the week of his death, The Guardian, 2008 source ↗

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