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Comment by et2o | Hacker News Reader

I find articles written by people in early stages of dementia almost too sad to read. Few conditions rob us our humanity like dementia.

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Agreed. I have tears in my eyes after finishing this one. I cant imagine living through it myself. My mind is my everything... I would likely consider suicide, and I don't know whether that makes me weak or silly, but I can't see much of a way out with a disease like this.

>I would likely consider suicide, and I don't know whether that makes me weak or silly...

Up till the end of his life after suffering from early onset Alzheimer's, Terry Pratchett argued that such an option is certainly not weak or silly.

Here's a reading of his essay called Shaking Hands with Death [1] by a good friend of Pratchett's. His whit and charm and spirit really shine through this essay dictated to his assistant years after he had lost the ability to type.

Terry Pratchett has long been my favorite author, but his bravery while battling Alzheimer's has made him my hero...

[1] Terry Pratchett: Shaking Hands With Death

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=90b1MBwnEHM

Terry Pratchett also made a great documentary called Choosing to Die.[1] Here's a trailer for it: [2]

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett:_Choosing_to_D...

[2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsvwhuOSApI

at least it wasn't early onset. I'll happily take the onset of this disease at the age of 77 if it means I don't need to suffer from it at 50 like my grandfather.

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