Bbc - One Life - My Life On A Post It Note

[Jackie]

Last night the BBC showed a documentary on Christine Lyall-Grant is 65 [diagnosed at 61] who has early-onset Alzheimer's and how it affects not only her but also people around around mainky her daughter, Fiona who is 38. For once it highlighted the fact that most people think of the disease as one of old age, but the number of younger people affected is growing steadily.

For once it was a 'real life' situation, with true and honest feelings from both the sufferer and her daughter, and was filmed over a period of 12 months.

I cant understand why the Alzheimers Society did not promote this documentary on their website, especially as it was highlighing that it just DOESNT affect older people.

It was the most sensitive and true to life fact of this cruel disease and how it affects EVERYONE involved and not just the sufferer, and how 'real' people really do deal with it.

As a daugther of a younger sufferer [my mum is 54 and in the late stages] I could relate to everything that was said and how it was handled, the changes & progression of the disease everything and it just reassured me that I wasnt alone in what was happening or how I was handling the whole thing.

Shame it wasnt promoted on you home page, where as I apprecaite any publicity the Society recieves - ie: Mike Baldwins Character - this documentary was REAL LIFE...............

You can read more on this documentary http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/tv_and_radio/onelife_series6prog1.shtml

 

[Brucie]

I cant understand why the Alzheimers Society did not promote this documentary on their website

I'd bet that it might have been because of the inclusion of discussions about suicide and euthanasia, though it may simply have been that AS saw it for the first time last night as well.

It was SUCH a good, accurate and moving programme. I hope it is repeated on a regular basis with, perhaps, an update. I taped it just to be sure!

 

[Jackie]

Hi Bruce,

I think you have hit the nail on the head there about the 'suicide and euthanasia' issue - I have noticed if this is mentioned on here then the replies stop.....I guess its too much of a 'controversial' issue still for most people.

I think thats why the programme last night was so fantastic, as you saw an incredibly intelligent woman understanding what was happening and what was going to happen in the future and said "if I had the choice I would swim in the sea, which I have always loved to do, swim until I could swim no more, and just sink into the sea" and she was so cheerful about that but it was her daughter that could not deal with her mum's desire and refused to take her swimming to the seaside where her mum grew up.

It was interesting to see that once the disease started to progress the daughter did relent and in the end she took her mum to the seaside and let her swim, but the disease had got to the stage that the Alzheimer’s had taken over and when questioned why she finally let her mum swim, and what it meant the answer was simple 'Freedom'

How true is that one word!

 

[Brucie]

I have noticed if this is mentioned on here then the replies stop

What I have found is that some people are very willing to talk about their own situation as carers of someone with dementia and say "if it ever happened to me then I'd want to arrange to depart first"

Of course no-one can talk about another person and decide yes or no for them as it is not only potentially breaking the law if anything comes of it, but also it is desperate, generally.

The situation is not resolvable. By the time that a person would wish to take any action on their own part, they would generally be too far deteriorated to do it.

 

[Jackie]

That is true, but I also know that my mum would not have wanted to 'exist' with this disease either - so I have to stand by and watch the deteriation knowing it will only get worse......