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So long, and thanks for all the fish

McBell

Resident Sourpuss
Thank you. Unfortunately The Mirror is so full of spam that reading an article is very difficult.
From the article:
By 2012, Sir Terry's Alzheimer's was beginning to have a serious impact on his health, although his stressed the cognitive part of his mind was "untouched" while his symptoms were phsyical.

And when Sir Terry lost his battle against Alzheimer's he chose Death's words in a heartbreaking final tweet.

He wrote" AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.

"Terry took Death's arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black deser under the endless night.

"The End."​
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Terry Pratchett's heartbreaking last tweet as he lost battle against Alzheimer's

For the case where we might succumb to a similar end as Terry Pratchett (quite likely given the statistics), what might one have as a prepared last statement - apart from perhaps, OK, I admit it, I did it (whatever that might be)?

Serious or humorous, all welcome.
According to other internet sources, Terry Pratchett's last tweet read simply "The End". I've heard better.

At the funeral of my favorite poet Seamus Heaney it was said that his last words were an SMS to his wife, Noli timere, which literally mean Don't fear (which was given as 'Don't be afraid') and which many there would have recognized as the words the angel spoke to the women who were going to the empty tomb (Vulgate, Matthew 28:5). I have a personal theory that they instead refer to a line in the first love poem he wrote to his future wife (or at least, the first published one), which ends:

So if, my dear, there sometimes seems to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.​

'Never fear' is as good a translation of 'noli timere' as any.

But that's sentimental rather than funny.

My own last utterance will probably be unspectacular, like Ouch! or a single swear word, still with the exclamation mark.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
Why the Douglas Adams quote?

Seems as appropriate as any - why not? Those who die from dementia or some related illness will hardly have the necessary to make some cogent point that many might make so at least arranging such beforehand might be prudent - if they are even bothered enough.
 

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
Seems as appropriate as any - why not? Those who die from dementia or some related illness will hardly have the necessary to make some cogent point that many might make so at least arranging such beforehand might be prudent - if they are even bothered enough.

No reason, I just thought you might have reason,, this is my favourite one of his on death 'no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away... The span of someone's life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence'
 

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
According to other internet sources, Terry Pratchett's last tweet read simply "The End". I've heard better.

At the funeral of my favorite poet Seamus Heaney it was said that his last words were an SMS to his wife, Noli timere, which literally mean Don't fear (which was given as 'Don't be afraid') and which many there would have recognized as the words the angel spoke to the women who were going to the empty tomb (Vulgate, Matthew 28:5). I have a personal theory that they instead refer to a line in the first love poem he wrote to his future wife (or at least, the first published one), which ends:

So if, my dear, there sometimes seems to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.​

'Never fear' is as good a translation of 'noli timere' as any.

But that's sentimental rather than funny.

My own last utterance will probably be unspectacular, like Ouch! or a single swear word, still with the exclamation mark.
I expect mine to be something like "A truck!"
 

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
seriously, though, I suffer from dementia--with no identifiable cause and therefore no certain prognosis...I simply am not capable of doing things or remembering things that I used to do with ease...even writing something as brief as this takes a substantial amount of effort...

I've a friend who has dementia brought on by a pair of strokes...he has been robbed of much...he describes it as being locked in a battle with a monster...a monster that keeps taking from him his knowledge and abilities...and all he can do is fight against it with whatever he has left, trying to learn and do things again that monster has taken from him...
 

shmogie

Well-Known Member
My ol
Terry Pratchett's heartbreaking last tweet as he lost battle against Alzheimer's

For the case where we might succumb to a similar end as Terry Pratchett (quite likely given the statistics), what might one have as a prepared last statement - apart from perhaps, OK, I admit it, I did it (whatever that might be)?

Serious or humorous, all welcome.
my older brother died of Alzheimers. Since he always kept himself in top physical condition, his mind left him long before his body died. It was a horrendous existence and a horrendous death.

I fear it desperately, and as a Christian I cannot entertain what I would like to, while I still have some rationality left if I am diagnosed with this, one .357 mag round to the head. I do not want to put my family through this horror.

My brothers twilight existence was crushing for the family, and thank God his daughter and wife vowed to not put him in a death warehouse but rather cared for him 24 hours per day for over a year.

I think his last message would have been about how a proud strong man was reduced to indignity after indignity, becoming essentially a baby requiring a baby's care, for over a year.

He did speak of the beginning of this before he slipped away.

Humor is great, but I am unable to generate any related to this subject.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
And watch Good Omens. Buy the book too while you are at it.

Indeed 100% I agree.

seriously, though, I suffer from dementia-

That sucks really big time. I'm at the age where I know people who have died from it and who have it now. Friends and family give those suffering from it the only thing we can give: to love them and meet them emotionally as best we can.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
I'm watching the series on BBC but I haven't actually read any of Pratchett's books - read lots of other similar fiction though.
Don't read the Disc World Series. They are highly addictive. At least if you do start reading them you won't have to wait for the next one to come out. Though disappearing for a month or two may give your family some concern.
 

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
Indeed 100% I agree.



That sucks really big time. I'm at the age where I know people who have died from it and who have it now. Friends and family give those suffering from it the only thing we can give: to love them and meet them emotionally as best we can.
thanks
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
seriously, though, I suffer from dementia--with no identifiable cause and therefore no certain prognosis...I simply am not capable of doing things or remembering things that I used to do with ease...even writing something as brief as this takes a substantial amount of effort...

I've a friend who has dementia brought on by a pair of strokes...he has been robbed of much...he describes it as being locked in a battle with a monster...a monster that keeps taking from him his knowledge and abilities...and all he can do is fight against it with whatever he has left, trying to learn and do things again that monster has taken from him...

Life is still worth living. At least that is how it seems to me. Ten years ago my father had an accident where he fell and received an internal brain injury. He went from being extremely active to not being able to walk unaided and without the ability for rational thought. He still enjoyed life. I know because I have been supplementing his care for those ten years. It has been a long slow road of decline. He will still talk rarely but all to often it is a sign of pain. Usually it takes just a little physical therapy on my part to get him to feel better, but at that point he just goes to sleep. It is probably his last year right now, he has been having trouble eating lately and if that does not improve he will be on the way out. He will see his 90th birthday, but probably not his 91st.

But more than once I wondered if I was doing the right thing by working so hard to keep him healthy. No extreme measures, just making sure that some minor illness does not get out of control and kill him. He always seemed to enjoy his life even in its diminished capacity, as long as pain was kept under control. And that is often what I see as my main job. Keeping him comfortable without relying on drugs that simply mask the pain.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
But more than once I wondered if I was doing the right thing by working so hard to keep him healthy.

He still enjoyed life.

To me you answered your own question.

I remember someone with Alzheimer's who had lost the ability to walk and talk and almost to eat responding with happiness when we sang happy birthday to him and gave him a birthday cookie.
 

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
Life is still worth living. At least that is how it seems to me. Ten years ago my father had an accident where he fell and received an internal brain injury. He went from being extremely active to not being able to walk unaided and without the ability for rational thought. He still enjoyed life. I know because I have been supplementing his care for those ten years. It has been a long slow road of decline. He will still talk rarely but all to often it is a sign of pain. Usually it takes just a little physical therapy on my part to get him to feel better, but at that point he just goes to sleep. It is probably his last year right now, he has been having trouble eating lately and if that does not improve he will be on the way out. He will see his 90th birthday, but probably not his 91st.

But more than once I wondered if I was doing the right thing by working so hard to keep him healthy. No extreme measures, just making sure that some minor illness does not get out of control and kill him. He always seemed to enjoy his life even in its diminished capacity, as long as pain was kept under control. And that is often what I see as my main job. Keeping him comfortable without relying on drugs that simply mask the pain.
what you are doing is I think the best response. I'm sorry to hear of his trouble and decline, but I think you're doing the right thing by him...I'm sure that if he was really unhappy you'd see it...
 
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