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.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

I had some ME time today while Dave met the minister for lunch… We got some great news today. The nurse called and Dave’s bone scan was normal… I have felt puny all day. I looked in the mirror and I don’t feel near as bad as I look… I fixed lunch and supper… I will water flowers and pick okra when it gets cooler… David called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Dave went in this morning for his bone scan, now we wait for results… I fixed my own breakfast this morning. Dave usually fixes it for me because I take so much medicine it takes forever for me to wake up. I fixed myself some cantaloupe and I thought I was doing good. But when Dave got home around one he gave me my morning meds, I had forgotten to take them… I cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, and chatted with my friends in the chat room. It was so good to have Duchess in Ohio back in chat today. She and Vince have been gone for two weeks to California… I helped fix supper and made some nectar for the hummingbirds. I kept forgetting to fill their feeder. It didn’t take them long to find it and I am sure they are happy I finally filled it… I had a flare up diverticulitis… Jeanne in Hawaii called and I called Martha… I am watching a movie “The Glen Miller Story” … Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Thanks to Faye in Chandler, Oklahoma for signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html … I loafed most of the day. I helped fix supper, picked okra, and deadheaded roses and hibiscus. I hosted the evening DASNI chat at http://www.alzinfo.org/alztalk/flashchat.php … Dave cleaned the garage and tonight he and Kenny went four-wheeling… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, July 28, 2008

Happy Birthday Chip!!! Chip is our friend in Satsuma, Florida… It has been a hot 105-degree day… This morning I went to Dr. States for my chiropractor treatment and I won’t have to go back for three weeks… The nurse called Dave with an appointment for a bone scan… I fixed supper… I popped some corn and am watching an Angels/Red Sox game… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, July 27, 2008

I must have gotten over stimulated last night, because I had a terrible time falling asleep last night. I love people and enjoy visiting with them but then I pay for it later… We got up early this morning so we could get ready for church… When we got home from church I fixed us a quick lunch then took the newspaper up to Kenny and Kathy. I went to chat and I got so sleepy that I laid down with Dave who was already sound asleep. I was so surprised when I woke up two and half hours later. I must have really been tired because I am not one to nap… I fixed supper and watered the outside flowers. Now I am watching the Red Sox/NYY game… David and Lori called and so did Richard in Tennessee… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Happy Birthday Mary Ann!!! Mary Ann is our friend in San Antonio, Texas…Happy Birthday Bob!!! Bob is our neighbor who turned 40 today… Wes came today and cleaned out a couple flowerbeds, Kenny cut our grass, and Dave edged … Tonight we went to our neighbors, Bob and Kim’s house, for Bob’s 40th birthday cookout. I cooked up a bunch of fried okra to take and it was a big hit… Our Magnolia tree is blooming… Lori called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, July 25, 2008

Today I did three loads of laundry, hosted the DASNI chat, fixed lunch, and supper… Tonight I popped some corn and watched a movie… I sat outside with Dave and Kenny came down... Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahomat

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I fixed lunch, rode the bike, hosted the DASNI chat. Then we went to the cleaners, got gas, went to the credit union, took Martha and Alfred some okra and visited with them for awhile. Then we went to get groceries. Stopped by Braums on the way home for a buttered pecan mix. Yummy… Kim came over with a couple of movies for me to watch. I shared my zucchini bread and banana nut bread recipes with her… I called Kathy to see if she wanted to watch a movie with me and she did, so I took a movie up and we watched “Georgia Rule” Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I spent way too much time on the computer today… I fixed supper, and went to the garden with Dave to get onions and turnips… Dave is back in his hidey hole working on a plane… Martha and David called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

It is going to be 100 plus degrees all week. So guess I might as well get used to it… I chatted with my friends in the chat room, cleaned the bathroom, picked up around the house, did laundry, and watered the flowers outside. Later when the sun goes down and it is cooler I will pick okra… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, July 21, 2008

It was a hot 100 degrees today. I am sure glad we have an air conditioned home… I hosted the DASNI chat, rode the bike, and helped fix supper. Dave is doing fine, he is doing a lot of sleeping… Howard called… That is about it for today… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Macey and Jenny "Mom"


Macey and Me


Happy Birthday Macey!!! Macey is our great granddaughter who is 4 today… I didn’t do a journal entry last night because I was too tired when we got home from Macey’s birthday celebration and what a celebration it was. There must have been 50 people there. That little girl is the apple of my eye. She is our youngest great grandchild… We got up early so we could go to church this morning… I hosted the DASNI chat. http://www.dasninternational.org/ … We had some overripe bananas so I made a couple loaves of banana nut bread … I watched a movie “The Miracle Worker” … David and Kenny called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, July 18, 2008

I got up early so I could finish picking up for the maids. I stripped the bed and did laundry, I went to the garden and picked green beans for supper… I watched a movie “In the Heat of the Night”… It feels good to have a clean house, the laundry all done, and even the dogs are clean… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Happy Birthday Carol!!! Carol is our friend in Louisville, Kentucky...
I did a couple loads of laundry, cleared a path for the maids visit tomorrow, and then we went to the cleaners, went for my snap, crackle, pop treatment, and then for a Blast treat at Sonic… George called and his procedure went well. Thanks for your prayers. Josh called from his store telling me that Debbie had came in… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

marylockhart@atlinkwifi.com

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The All Star game lasted for 15 innings. I fell asleep watching it and had to call David today to see who had won. I was happy to hear it was the American League… Dave woke me up real early this morning so I could go with him to see Dr. Mosca, the urologist. It was his three month check up and everything was ok. He did say since Dave has had cancer twice there is a good chance he could have it again. I pray not… We went to Tinker Air Force Base and then went by to visit Pat and Carl... Please keep my brother, George in your prayers as he is going in the hospital tomorrow for a procedure… I deadheaded the roses and hibiscus and fed the roses, fixed supper, and walked in some showers… Lori called and I called George and Martha... Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Today I cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, fixed lunch, chatted with friends in DASNI chat room, and fixed supper… I cut up okra and put some in the freezer… David called… The ten warning signs of Alzheimer’s are
Memory loss that affects job skills
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems with language
Disorientation to time and place
Poor or decreased judgment
Problems with abstract thinking
Misplacing things
Changes in mood or behavior
Changes in personality
Loss of initiative
The above list is from the Alzheimer’s Assn…
I am going to watch the All Star game tonight… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, July 14, 2008

Last night I had just finished brushing and flossing my teeth and when I was rinsing my mouth I felt something loose so I spit it out in my hand and it was a tooth that had a crown and post on it. I about freaked out. Dave called my dentist first thing this morning and I got in this afternoon. Lucky for me the dentist was able to put it back in. I was so happy because that was the tooth that my partial fit on… We have had a couple neighbors visit today. Sean and Billye brought our supper to us. It was grilled chicken dinner and it was delicious… Tonight Dave and I picked okra and I took some over to Sean and Billye. Marlee saw me and wanted me to pick her up and take her for a ride on my scooter. It is hard to believe she is walking already… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Happy Birthday Mary Beth!!! Mary Beth is our niece in North Carolina… Thanks to Sandy in Ohio and Caj Aberg in Sweden Europe for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book at http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mari5113/index.html … Dave woke me up early this morning so I could have breakfast, take a shower and get ready for church. We went to church and I handled it well. I was worried about panic attacks but I think seeing familiar faces there helped. Our neighbors Bobby and Kim were there waiting for us when we pulled up. There were two other neighbors there too… We had Wes come and look at our landscaping. He is going to do some pulling of weeds and trimming for us. That will help us a lot. We used him at the old home place to trim some trees. Kenny mowed some of our acreage for us which was a big help… I spent most of the afternoon and evening outside. While I was outside I took several pictures to add to my blog which you can see below this… I noticed today that my passionflower was blooming. I have waited all summer for it to bloom… David called and said that the cow that he named after me, Mary Edith, had a calf this morning. No name yet for the calf… We are having Mexican tonight with Kenny and Kathy… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Hibiscus


Kenny on one of his Honda's and one of my cutest flowers.


Hollyhoke


One of many Sunflowers that the birds planted


Passionflower


Saturday, July 12, 2008

Dave went to Wal-Mart to get his medication and a new battery for one of our cars… I did a load of laundry and then we went to the mall… We got some rain and I walked in it… I fixed lunch and supper… Tonight I watched a movie, “The Postman Always Rings Twice… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, July 11, 2008

Dave woke up with gout this morning. He saw the PA in Piedmont and will pick up medication later tonight and he will go back on Monday for lab work… I picked up around the house, folded laundry, fixed lunch and supper, and cleaned up the kitchen… David and Martha called… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, July 10, 2008

I went to the DASNI chat room and chatted with friends. It was sure good to see Ben back in the chat room… Dave and I went into town to run some errands. We got our car detailed and picked up a few groceries at Aldi’s then we went to Chili’s for supper. It seems like I am always forgetting something when we leave the house. Today it was my watch and I am lost without a watch. I kept asking Dave what time it was. Next time I will probably forget earrings or something else… I am going to have to start doing my journal earlier because when I wait till 9:00 to do it then I am too tired to think… I am doing a great job of putting ointment in Dave’s eye socket twice a day… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Dave saw the doctor today and she took off the patch. She said it looked good. He doesn’t have to go back for four weeks unless the thingy she put in to keep the eye socket open falls out. I sure hope it doesn’t… We went to Dillard’s and bought some new down pillows. We lucked out because they had gone on sale today. Then we got us some new clothes… Our neighbors, Bob and Kim came over this evening and I gave them some green beans and okra… Tonight we went to visit Kenny and Kathy. Kathy had picked a bunch of cucumbers and gave them to us. While we were there Josh came home from work so I got a hug… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

I have been busy today. I did laundry, fed the flowers, tomato and pepper plants, deadheaded roses and hibiscus, fixed lunch, broke green beans and helped with supper… It sprinkled rain and I got out and walked in it. We are hoping for a downpour later… David, George, Carole, Wesley, and Josh called… It is raining hard now. Thank you God... Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Monday, July 07, 2008

The minister came to visit us this afternoon. We really liked him and are thinking of visiting his church… Didn’t do much of anything today, so I have nothing much to write about… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Sunday, July 06, 2008

It has been a hot and windy day. We really need some rain… I watched the church services on TV this morning… I fixed lunch, supper, and chatted with my DASNI friends… Richard, Barbara Ruth, Jan and Wade, and Howard all called to check on Dave… Dave never complains, I am so proud of my strong husband… I am going to watch a Red Sox baseball game tonight. Go Red Sox!!! … Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Saturday, July 05, 2008

We had a great time last night at the cookout, visiting, eating, and watching the fireworks… It has been in the upper 90’s today and it is so dry that the ground is cracking… I folded laundry that was left in the dryer, hosted the DASNI chat, watched a movie, did a load of laundry, and when it cools down I will deadhead the hibiscus and roses… Dave is going up to Kenny and Kathy’s to watch the fights… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Friday, July 04, 2008

Happy 4th of July!!!

We are having a cookout with out neighborhood tonight. There will be fireworks too...
Please be safe...
Good Night All... Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Thursday, July 03, 2008

I chatted with my DASNI friends, rode the bike for 25 minutes, and went for my chiropractor treatment. I am down to every two weeks now… Kenny called and invited us up for supper. I cooked fresh green beans and potatoes and took them up. Kathy fixed a delicious meat loaf. Dave used the excuse that his depth perception was off for the reason he took such a large piece of meat loaf. LOL… Tonight I will host the Dr. Mitch chat at http://www.alzinfo.org/alztalk/flashchat.php His topic is: Brain training through meditation/stilling and cognitiveremediation/stimulating… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Dave has had several naps today, but he says he has no pain. The doctor called this morning to check on him… I have been tired all day. I had a terrible time falling asleep last night. I guess I got over stimulated yesterday… Jennifer another neighbor called this morning and said she would like to bring our supper tonight and she did. She and her three children brought it in. Kyle even made us chocolate chip cookies. I am getting fatter by the minute. Last night Kim brought us brownies with our meal. I am not used to eating like this… Kathy picked their peaches tonight and she had about a half of bushel and she shared with us. Our peach trees aren’t doing that well. Maybe next year they will do better. They are still young yet… We have had several phone calls today. I can’t begin to remember all of them. But they were appreciated… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma…

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Kathy drove us the Surgery Foundation this morning and David and Lori met us there. Dave went into surgery around 1:30 and was in surgery for a couple hours. Everything went just fine… We got home about 5:00 and soon after we got home our neighbors, Robert and Kim, brought us our supper. We have the best neighbors… David and Lori stopped in town to eat then came on out to keep an eye on Dave. Kathy had to leave and go into work… Dave has a large bandage over the eye and will keep that on until he sees Dr. Holloman next week. I am really tired tonight. Thanks everyone for your prayers. We both felt them… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma