Talking of memories.....

I have been watching with much interest, Terry Pratchett's documentary on his search for some sort of hope in his last great adventure, the battle with Alzheimers disease. It would seem that as the population continues to age, the frequency of dementia is steadily increasing, and as yet, there is no effective treatment, let alone a cure for the long slow slide into confusion.
I am a latecomer to the world of Terry Pratchett, and have become utterly devoted to his peculiar world and the characters that inhabit it. I have read many of his books but there are still a few that I have yet to seek out and one that I will bring myself to eventually, but like all good things, I don't want to reach the end. At the moment he is still writing very prolifically, but as the disease takes a firmer grip, it is likely that his light will slowly fade and die.
To lose one's memories must be terrible, especially as the process can be very lengthy and one is aware of what is happening. As the disease progresses, maybe that awareness diminishes and perhaps it is as if the occupant of the brain has left.
I know that these days my mind is not being used much, and that coupled with probably too much wine is not doing me a great deal of good. The other day I did have a scary moment, a small insight into the world of the demented, and maybe this was an early sign. I went to put some clothes into the washing machine, and for all of 30 seconds I couldn't remember where it was! At the time I put it down to the hangover but perhaps there is more to it than that. With my health record in recent years i wouldn't be surprised by anything.
I'd like to think that I could approach things the way that Terry Pratchett has, though I don't have his money or his imagination. I also hope that he can slow down the progress of his Alzheimers and continue writing as long as both of us are alive - we are the same age.