Found this report on an interview from earlier this year with Michael Palin referencing Terry:Bearbonesnorm wrote:In the interests of clarity, I perhaps should just point out that from what I believe, Terry Jones is suffering from the effects of a stroke.
Monty Python star Terry Jones still enjoys long walks and a good joke despite living with dementia, his close friend Michael Palin has said. Jones, 75, who famously directed Monty Python's Life Of Brian is suffering from a form of dementia that affects his ability to communicate.
Speaking to The Observer, Palin also told of how Jones has not lost his sense of humour and matter of fact manner. He said: "The thing that struck me was how Terry reacted to his diagnosis. He was very matter of fact about it and would stop people in the street and tell them: 'I've got dementia, you know. My frontal brain lobe has absconded'.
"He knew exactly what was affecting him and he wanted to share that knowledge - because that is the way that Terry is. FTD (Frontotemporal dementia) may cause loss of inhibition, but Terry was never very inhibited in the first place."
It first became apparent that something was wrong with Jones in 2014.
They were performing with the rest of the surviving Monty Python's Flying Circus troupe in a show of sketches and songs, Monty Python live (mostly) at the O2 in London.
"Terry was always very good at remembering lines," recalled Palin last week.
"But this time he had real problems, and in the end he had to use a teleprompter. That was a first for him. I realised then that something more serious than memory lapses was affecting him."
Reflecting on their friendship, Palin said: "We chat - well, I chat. But when the meal is over he makes it clear he has to move. He has to get to the next thing on his agenda and he just puts his head down and goes.
"I have never felt discomfited in his presence, however. There is no embarrassment. He doesn't shout or show his bottom."
He added: "I think that must be the most difficult thing - not to be able to say quite simply how you are feeling on a given occasion. We assume that he is happy, but that assumption could be wrong. We just don't know."
For someone who has spent a lifetime communicating it must be very difficult; to be aware of people around him and what's going on but being unable to string together words must be so frustrating for him
