wrod.

I think in the early to middle stages there's a strong awareness of what's happening and what's being lost. On NPR they've had occasional stories the past few years about a man with early-onset Alzheimer's, and that's the impression I got from it. Heartbreaking.

In my limited experience, the person suffering from it was very conscious of the growing lacks and that lead to a lot of major negative personality changes (which he was also aware were out of character but couldn't explain) until some meds and coping mechanisms were devised.

It's been maybe 15 years since onset for my friend. He had to let a lot of things go, but has also sought out new interests that adapt better to his condition. It hasn't stopped progressing, but he and his family have gotten better at coping with it. For now.

eta: even now, he has to be conscious of the disease's effects, because in doing so, he can look for ways to avoid the situations that put him at risk without compromising his independence too much.

Curiously, one of those new interests is writing fiction.

My step-grandmother was very aware of what was happening in the early stages of dementia. She would get so frustrated with herself. It's a sad, horrible disease.

Yeah, there's no painless way out, I guess.

Though my family does imagine that if my father loses his mind he'll be the sort that blithely wanders through life and we'll have to stop him from playing in traffic. Not sure why, but we're all agreed, including him.

Okay, I realise no one deserves it, but if anyone ever really didn't deserve it. Crap.

That's pretty much my reaction. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

Oh damn. That is so hard and painful, for *anyone*, but....damn.

Does one watch oneself in this scenario?

belatedly repeating what every one else says - yes in the early stages you know exactly what was happening. And quite often you go on knowing you are missing something until you forget how to speak. And even then a friend told me how her mother would try to speak even after she know longer could, and got frustrated at that. Even when she had forgotten how to communicate she knew she should be able to communicate. And yeah, no one deserves it but Pratchett especially does not. It is not a quick loss; you lose yourself a bit at a time, and are aware of it through much of it - maybe most of it.

I watched most of the second half of Hogfather last night. As soon as we unpack the paperbacks, I'ma read it.

Next Con, I'm going as Susan.

If only I had $4,000,001.00 [link]