Mary's Place

A web page about the life of a lady who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Name:
Location: Piedmont, Oklahoma, United States

I live in Piedmont, OK, with my Husband of 50 years who has been very supportive. We have 2 sons,David and Kenny, 6 grandkids, and 6 great grandkids. I enjoy feeding and watching the birds and squirrels. Before I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I ran a Licensed Day Care Home for Infants for 15 years. I noticed I wasn't able to remember important things and having problems with my speech. I was experiencing severe headaches. I would get lost. I didn't know how to use the computer. At the age of 55, I told my doctor. I was sent for an MRI. which showed a large amount of shrinkage. I went to a neurologist who sent me for two days of testing. I was diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type. My husband and I were both in shock. I had to give up my job. I went to see a social worker. I've taken Aricept for 11 years. I can now use the computer and even do this web page. I also host a chat room for dementia patients. This is a very lonely disease. I don't want anyone to feel as lonely as I did when I was diagnosed (I thought I was the only one over 50 that had Alzheimer's). In 2006 I started taking Namenda. Also I was told I have a mixed dementia, Alzheimer's/Vascular.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Happy Birthday Erin!!! Erin is our granddaughter in Norman, Oklahoma… Another month flew by. I wish these strong winds would go away, it was 87 degrees today. It is looking like we are going from winter to summer… Dave’s flagpole came today and he was outside watching for the UPS man when it came… I chatted with my DASNI friends and fixed supper… We got some of those vacuum bags to store our blankets in. They are so neat… Our peach trees are blooming and so is the Carolina Jasmine… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

It was 82 degrees with what seemed like 50 mph winds… Brenda, the Nurses Aide came to see me and put fresh sheets on our bed… I did two loads of laundry and put them away… We went to town to run some errands and pick up a few groceries… Kenny and Kathy stopped by for a few minutes… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, March 29, 2010

Tony, the Nurse came to visit Dave and me this morning. Soon after Tony left Tia, a Social Worker came to visit us… It was a beautiful day and I got out and got some Vitamin D… Dave did yard work while I fixed supper… Looking forward to “Dancing With the Stars” tonight… Lori called and I think she is falling in love with their new dog… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Last night David came here and he and Dave went to Kenny’s to watch the fights… I had ME time last night and again today. Dave went with David to pick up another puppy. It is a Doberman and he is a big boy. He is nine months old, David hasn’t figured out a name for him yet… I attended church services on TV this morning and chatted with my friends in the DASNI chat room… It was 60 degrees today and a lot of sunshine… Tonight I watched “Amish Grace”… I called Helen in Georgia… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Saturday, March 27, 2010

We cleaned out some drawers today, making room for stuff we brought in from the motor home. Dave has enough socks to last him the rest of his life… It was a rainy windy day. Last night it was so windy it blew everything off our patio including the grill… It’s a good day to watch a movie. I have “Billy: The Early Years of Billy Graham” to watch tonight… I called Bob and Lynn our friends in South Dakota to wish them a Happy 50th Anniversary. Bob and Lynn stood up with us when we got married almost 50 years ago… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, March 26, 2010

It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the 60’s but with strong winds… I chatted with my DASNI friends, went through boxes of stuff brought in from the motor home and laundered them… Brenda, the nurse’s aide came to visit me… I watched a movie “Of Mice and Men… Please pray for my friend Helen and her husband Dean who is dealing with cancer. The doctor told Helen that Dean only has a few months to live… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, March 25, 2010

We got up early this morning, ate breakfast and took our showers so we could go to David and Lori’s house… We played with Bella and ENZO while Lori made some delicious home made vegetable soup for our lunch. After we ate we watched a couple DVD’s that David had made of our old home movies. We laughed so hard. These were made back when the boys were little and Kenny was just learning to walk but he sure could dance. LOL… I am learning how to use our new iPhone gradually. So far I have learned how to make phone calls, text, take pictures, and make a video… While we were at David and Lori’s we saw several deer on their acreage and lots of birds at his feeders. He has a lot more birds than we have… I am getting more nervous all the time when we are traveling on the highways. There is so much traffic… The Bradford Pear trees are blooming and so is the forsythia bush… Dave has ordered a really neat flagpole off the Internet. Our other flagpole got broken in the strong winds we have here in Piedmont. This one is guaranteed for five years. I hope they know about Piedmont winds… Evelyn in Peru, Indiana called... Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Thank you Richard in Smithville, Tennessee for signing my guest book at Mary’s Place http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html Last night Kenny and Kathy came over to help with our iPhone… I slept till after 11:00 this morning and I am still tired… David called and invited us out to his house tomorrow for lunch. We always look forward to going to their house and we will get to meet little ENZO… I did a load of laundry, cleaned out the coat closet, gathered up stuff to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters tomorrow, and fixed supper… I have a movie to watch later tonight “The Time Traveler’s Wife”… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I am feeling very tired today. I pushed myself to clean the bathrooms and do a load of laundry… The Nurses aide came to visit and so did the Nurse. The aide changed the sheets on our bed and did some light housekeeping. The Nurse gave me a Vitamin B12 shot. I sure needed it… David and Lori got them a new puppy. It is a miniature greyhound and I have posted a picture of ENZO below… Dave worked in the Rose Garden today and got it all cleaned up… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

This is our newest grand puppy. His name is ENZO

Monday, March 22, 2010

It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the upper 60’s… We took our two dogs, Mindy and Sugar to be groomed. Then I went for my dental appointment. After that we went to the phone store where we bought an iPhone. By the time the guy got finished explaining it all, I was almost brain dead. We left there and went to Aldi’s and picked up a few groceries…When we got home I tried to take a nap but I couldn’t but at least I rested… Mindy and Sugar look really good… I will be next inline for a grooming… I called my brother… I am going now to watch "Dancing With the Stars"... Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, March 21, 2010

I watched church services on the television…

It got up to 37 degrees today and the snow is starting to melt. I watched the neighbor boys, Zachary and Ethan throwing snowballs from our study window. I love to see kids outside playing… I have been lazy today… The Ice Cream truck came and took us for ice cream… My brother George called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Saturday, March 20, 2010

We woke up to snow this morning and it has been snowing all day… We have had over a hundred birds around our two bird feeders. It is fun to watch them. Also love watching our dogs play in the snow… I made potato soup for our lunch but I forgot to add the onions. At least I remembered the potatoes. LOL… I have a movie from NETFLIX to watch “The Secret Life Of Bees” I will watch it after supper… Dave finished doing our taxes... David called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, March 19, 2010

Last night it was late when we got home and I was too tired to post a journal…

We had a wonderful time last night. Meeting with Gary and his friends and relatives, we even got to meet one of Gary’s niece and her dog, Lucy. Eating at Olive Garden was nice too. After we finished eating we all went to Full Circle Book Store where Gary did his reading and signed books. I took my book for him to sign… We went by Kenny and Kathy’s house on our way home. Their dogs Sammie and Teddy were sure happy to see us, they were all over us. Then we went with Kenny and Kathy to Wal-Mart… Dave went to Tinker AFB to get our medicines and pick up a few groceries. I was too tired to go… I cleaned up the kitchen... The nurses aide and her trainee came to visit me... Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!!!

I am happy to say that we got sunshine today… I went to the DASNI chat but for some reason I kept getting knocked out. After three times, I just gave up… I did laundry while Dave went to the doctor’s office to pick up some new prescriptions for us… We are having leftovers for supper… Tomorrow Gary Reiswig from Long Island, New York and the author of “The One Thousand Mile Stare” will be in Oklahoma City for a book reading and has invited Dave and I to have dinner with him. I am looking forward to meeting Gary and having a nice dinner too. http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/fl-alzheimers-20100107,0,3337506.story Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I sure could use some sunshine… We have had nurses coming in all day long. Dave’s nurse, Tony came and he was no longer gone until my nurse Brender came. Then the nurse’s aide, Brenda came. She had a trainee with her but I can’t remember her name… I fixed supper, played games on Pogo, and watched the birds… David and Lori called from Arlington, Texas. They are down there for a David Gray concert… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, March 15, 2010

I had to crawl out from under the covers extra early this morning. I had an 8:30 appointment with the dentist. He made me a new clasp for my partial and that wasn’t cheap even with my dental plan… I folded the laundry that was in the dryer and put them away… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I want my hour of sleep back. We moved our clocks one hour forward this morning and I am having a hard time adjusting to the new time… I washed a load of clothes and I keep forgetting to put them in the dryer… I watched a couple of movies “Where the Boys Are” and “The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn”… It is 8:00 and I feel like it is bedtime… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Saturday, March 13, 2010

It is really looking like spring here. The trees are all budding. Soon David will be out hunting for mushrooms. My mouth waters thinking about mushrooms…

I had a ME day today. Kenny came and got Dave to go out to his new home. They were going rearrange Kenny’s hangar… I chatted with my online friends and answered e-mails… I will be so happy to get my partial fixed. I am getting tired of eating only soft food… Richard called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, March 12, 2010

This morning we sold our motor home to a guy in Longview, Texas. It was sad to watch him drive away with it. We sure had some good times in that motor home and got to visit many places including Vancouver, Canada. But with Dave only having the one eye it just wasn’t safe for him to drive it anymore… I finished picking up for the maids. The maids came and now I am happy… The nurse’s aide came to visit me… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, March 11, 2010

I have been busy picking up and putting things away. The maids come tomorrow for their monthly visit and I am always happy for their visit… I did laundry and hung some out to dry, plus aired out our pillows. Dave got me a new clothesline and put it up today. He knocked the other one down with the lawn mower last fall. It was an accident. I have already told him not to have any more accidents… I started cleaning out the pantry. I couldn’t believe how much I had to throw out because it had expired… I called my friend Joann in Benton, Arkansas… I am looking forward to watching American Idol tonight… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Dave went to town to run some errands. I stayed home and chatted with DASNI friends at http://www.alzinfo.org/alztalk/flashchat.php I had to call my dentist for an appointment because I broke a clasp on my partial. I can’t get in until Monday… I fixed supper and now I am watching American Idol… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

I almost forgot to do a journal tonight… This morning the nurse came to visit Dave and I and then this evening the nurse’s aide came to visit me… I did laundry and fixed supper. I messed up on the recipe when I made the cornbread but we ate it anyhow… Dave and I both have been extra tired today… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, March 08, 2010

It was another rainy day here in Piedmont… The chat room is working now and I was happy to chat with my friends again… I picked up around the house, brushed the dogs, did laundry, fixed lunch, and supper… I had to call my doctor for another prescription for Advair because I lost the one he had given me… Tonight I watched the wedding on “The Bachelor"… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, March 07, 2010

I woke up this morning feeling much better… Rainy today and I walked in the rain. One of my favorite thing to do… The ice cream truck came and took us to Chili’s for baby back ribs. YUMMY!!! Thank you Kenny and Kathy. We never made it for ice cream… We stopped and looked at an open house. It was really nice… I called Jeanne, George, Carole, and David… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Saturday, March 06, 2010

I woke up with a headache this morning and have had it all day… I am going back to bed… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, March 05, 2010

It was another warm day but too windy for me to get outside because I have bad allergies… I did laundry and that is about all I accomplished today… Our chat room was down again. GRRRRR… The nurse’s aide came to visit me… David called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, March 04, 2010

It was a pretty day with temperatures in the 60’s… I cleaned out the Hostas beds and started working in the Rose garden. The Rose garden needs a lot of work. I didn’t have the energy to do much today… Dave planted three trees… I helped fix supper… David called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Happy Birthday Jamie!!! Jamie is our granddaughter in Kentucky… Today would have been my Mother’s 95th birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!!! I miss you… I watched a couple movies “Nights in Rodanthe” and “The Great Debaters”… I called my friend Joann who lost her husband yesterday. I can’t imagine what she is going through right now. Dave is taken Ken’s death really hard. We have many friends who have lost their husbands in the past couple years. It makes me want to hold Dave real tight… Dave had his last physical therapy today… Please keep our great granddaughter, Allison in your prayers. She has really bad burns from a cooking accident… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Thank you Sandy in Ohio for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html ,,, Today we lost another friend, Ken Stewart in Arkansas. Ken was in the Air Force with Dave…

The nurse came this morning to see Dave and me. My legs were hurting so the nurse called the doctor and the doctor ordered potassium for me and I am eating bananas. We think it is because of the Lasix… We took the dogs in to the Veterinarian to get their shots and all four dogs handled them well… When we arrived home, the nurse’s aide was here waiting for us… I have rested most of the day… Tonight I am watching “American Idol”… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, March 01, 2010

I woke up with a headache this morning and haven’t felt good all day… I pushed myself to do the laundry. I got the clothes all folded and put away, helped fix supper, and I made Dave a peach cobbler… George called... Tonight we are watching “The Bachelor”… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma