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Shaking hands with death . ....about  Terry Pratchett  

Anyone watch it tonight?

I'm not a fan of his books( only because it's not my genre ) 
What a fascinating insight into the world of Alzheimer's .

I've never heard anything explained so eloquently, and with so much humour about something so devastating.

It was very sad, and yet very uplifting all at the same time

I don't expect many ( or any) replies due to the time of day, but I hope someone , somewhere drew a lot of strength from it

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I've read loads of Terry Pratchets books..The fabulous "Discworld" seriesa.SKY has shown several of them "The colour of Magic" and "The Hogfather" ,excellent.He is a great writer,all the more tragic that he  now knows
 his mind will deteriorate,he will lose his creative  writing skills, and also his body will start to fail.
If he wants to end his life,when he thinks he wants to ,so be it.
kattymieoww
No stoory. I would like to have seen it but I was unable to.
Many of the arguments about euthanasia focus on the possibility of the subject being unable to make proper informed choices; that the subject might be influenced by others with ulterior motives or strong resistance to the idea.
But, as I understand from what I saw in the press, here we have someone who has been diagnosed with alzheimers, but who - at the moment - is clearly able to make his own proper informed choices.
I wish I had seen it. From what I have read I admire him.
Thanks stoory.
brisket
I saw it and it was brilliant, he made a fantastic argument for Assisted Death (he doesn't like the term 'Assisted Suicide').  What he was basically saying is that people with incurable diseases should have some control over their own death with medical help.  A medically assisted death, cushioned with appropriate drugs and surrounded by loved ones, should be an option for those with 'no hope'.  He suggested a panel of 'wise' people should judge each case, in order to prevent any abuse of the vulnerable, or the death of someone who just wants to die for other reasons like temporary depression. 


It would certainly be preferable to suicide, which is traumatic, painful and distressing for family.  No matter what suicide websites say, there are few suicide methods that are quick and painless.  You don't just take an overdose and fall asleep you know, it's a slow painful death as the liver fails.  It can take days.  I can't really think of a non-traumatic suicide method.


It was a fantastic argument, and I totally agree that euthanasia is a kind and merciful option in the case of the 'hopeless'.  It is a comfortable way of assisting someone at the end of their natural life, and much preferable to keeping people alive beyond their natural time as medicine is doind more and more.


I liked the bit where he said it's not on when real Knights can't even walk the streets with their sword these days 
fracas

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