<p> There&#39;s not many things that I fear, at least in terms of things that could happen to me; in fact, the only one that really scares the hell out of me is losing my sense of self.</p> <p> My fear is, I know, partly grounded in the fact that it&#39;s almost certainly in my future; though only one of my grandparents has passed away as a direct consequence of Alzheimers, it lurks in the background.</p>