Bruce Willis

[Karrit]

My sister-in-law has this type of dementia. My deepest sympathy to his family.

[PearlySweetcake]

I'm no doctor, but I think the family has the diagnosis reversed. They said the aphasia has progressed to FTD, but I think the disease is FTD, and aphasia was an early symptom.

I watched a double feature of Die Hard and Red 2 which are Willis's first and last good movies, imho, and it was shocking at how wooden and unanimated he was in Red 2. Lots of camara cuts, no more than one or two lines per camera shot for him. That was in 2013, and you just gotta wonder if the deterioration had been going on for some time.

[mandasant]

Feb 16, 2023 18:57:28 GMT -4 Karrit said:

My sister-in-law has this type of dementia. My deepest sympathy to his family.

I'm sorry about your sister-in-law, Karrit.

This is sad news all around.

[horseface]

Feb 16, 2023 20:32:05 GMT -4 PearlySweetcake said:

I'm no doctor, but I think the family has the diagnosis reversed. They said the aphasia has progressed to FTD, but I think the disease is FTD, and aphasia was an early symptom.

I watched a double feature of Die Hard and Red 2 which are Willis's first and last good movies, imho, and it was shocking at how wooden and unanimated he was in Red 2. Lots of camara cuts, no more than one or two lines per camera shot for him. That was in 2013, and you just gotta wonder if the deterioration had been going on for some time.

I am not a medical expert either, but I suspect you are correct. My father had dementia in his later years, and one of the first symptoms he had was forgetting words. He once forgot the word for speakers, and became really frustrated. He finally gave up and said, "the thing where the sound comes out!" At first I dismissed it because I thought he simply forgot the word in English for it. This started happening more frequently.

[ahah]

Feb 16, 2023 20:32:05 GMT -4 PearlySweetcake said:

I'm no doctor, but I think the family has the diagnosis reversed. They said the aphasia has progressed to FTD, but I think the disease is FTD, and aphasia was an early symptom.

I watched a double feature of Die Hard and Red 2 which are Willis's first and last good movies, imho, and it was shocking at how wooden and unanimated he was in Red 2. Lots of camara cuts, no more than one or two lines per camera shot for him. That was in 2013, and you just gotta wonder if the deterioration had been going on for some time.

I think it's possible that the family is framing it the way they are because they may need to see it that way in order handle all the emotions attached. There are so many heartbreaking elements of losing someone to dementia, but the realization that they don't remember special moments -- and then you -- is one of the hardest. The family may be clinging to the hope that some of the times they've shared since the aphasia diagnosis Bruce was fully "there" for, he just could not communicate as he once had. Sometimes we have to trick ourselves to have the strength to get through the gut wrenching heartbreak.

[cremetangerine82]

I just feel profoundly sad about Willis' diagnosis. When the family mentioned he had aphasia, I had a feeling he had a neurodegenerative disease like dementia. My late father, who was a man who could talk your ears off, begin to talk in shorter sentences before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. I now believe him going through so many movies with spare dialogue was to build a nest egg before he had to retire. I wish him and his loved ones the best.

[Sunnyhorse]

Feb 17, 2023 12:59:37 GMT -4 ahah said:

Feb 16, 2023 20:32:05 GMT -4 PearlySweetcake said:

I'm no doctor, but I think the family has the diagnosis reversed. They said the aphasia has progressed to FTD, but I think the disease is FTD, and aphasia was an early symptom.

I watched a double feature of Die Hard and Red 2 which are Willis's first and last good movies, imho, and it was shocking at how wooden and unanimated he was in Red 2. Lots of camara cuts, no more than one or two lines per camera shot for him. That was in 2013, and you just gotta wonder if the deterioration had been going on for some time.

I think it's possible that the family is framing it the way they are because they may need to see it that way in order handle all the emotions attached. There are so many heartbreaking elements of losing someone to dementia, but the realization that they don't remember special moments -- and then you -- is one of the hardest. The family may be clinging to the hope that some of the times they've shared since the aphasia diagnosis Bruce was fully "there" for, he just could not communicate as he once had. Sometimes we have to trick ourselves to have the strength to get through the gut wrenching heartbreak.

I wonder whether there was some diagnostic line crossed recently that told his medical team and family that, yes, he has dementia rather than just aphasia, which can be caused by other conditions. Or whether the family has known but just released the aphasia information earlier to stall the tabloids.

[Ginger]

Apr 1, 2005 13:00:00 GMT -4 Sunnyhorse said:

I wonder whether there was some diagnostic line crossed recently that told his medical team and family that, yes, he has dementia rather than just aphasia, which can be caused by other conditions. Or whether the family has known but just released the aphasia information earlier to stall the tabloids.

I think it's definitely the latter. Tons of people pointed out after the initial announcement that aphasia is not a diagnosis, it's a symptom. And then it came out that Bruce has been showing many other symptoms of dementia for the better part of 10 years.

I think the family has known exactly what his actual diagnosis is for years, but just weren't ready to say it publicly.

[taintedstar]

My heart goes out to his wife and daughters. This is such a terrible disease for both the patient and the family. My mom is mid-stage in dementia (she was dx'd at age 65 and she's now 69.) It is so hard to watch my mom's mind being stolen from her a little at a time. It's hard on family and friends, and as wrong as this feels to say, it's hard on caregivers who are also children and family (Mom lives with my husband and me.)

Not sure how exactly far along Bruce is but I hope he has time to enjoy his grandchildren, and for his daughters to make those memories of their dad with their own children. Wishing Bruce and his family peace, comfort, support, and the precious gift of time.

I'm at work and I'm about to cry. Dammit, this disease is so damn cruel to everyone who is touched by it in some way.

[cremetangerine82]

Feb 23, 2023 18:52:19 GMT -4 taintedstar said:

My heart goes out to his wife and daughters. This is such a terrible disease for both the patient and the family. My mom is mid-stage in dementia (she was dx'd at age 65 and she's now 69.) It is so hard to watch my mom's mind being stolen from her a little at a time. It's hard on family and friends, and as wrong as this feels to say, it's hard on caregivers who are also children and family (Mom lives with my husband and me.)

Not sure how exactly far along Bruce is but I hope he has time to enjoy his grandchildren, and for his daughters to make those memories of their dad with their own children. Wishing Bruce and his family peace, comfort, support, and the precious gift of time.

I'm at work and I'm about to cry. Dammit, this disease is so damn cruel to everyone who is touched by it in some way.

Yeah, I was never a huge Bruce Willis fan, but he's too young to have this happen to him. I hate Ronald Reagan, so his disease just pissed me off that he couldn't remember the horrible shit he did in his life.