Alzheimer's Blogging:

Is It “Normal” That People Who Are Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Dementia Become Depressed?
If we attempt to explain depression meaningfully, then it makes sense that people diagnosed with Alzheimer's Dementia (AD) become depressed. This implies that everyone develops clinical depression upon being diagnosed with AD, which is not supported by the data. Furthermore, since most people with AD do not have insight into their impairment, it is predicted that patients with better insight are more likely to be depressed; this is not supported by the available data.2 Suicidal ideation and suicide are rare in AD, and are no more common than in the general population,3 which does not support the view that it is “normal” to become depressed after a diagnosis of AD. This is further borne out in studies of individuals who are told of a terminal diagnosis such as cancer or AIDS.

Check out this article on Alzheimer's Weekly Magazine:  http://alzheimersweekly.com/content/depression-normal-part-dementia 

I do remember when taking care of my father in law there were times he was with it and angry when he couldn't do something he always did. Once when I was driving us home from lunch with his sister in laws. We passed a semi truck and his eyes got big as he watched the truck. Next he took his fist and hit the dash board of my car. It startled me and I jumped. Than in a sad tone he said, "I miss driving a semi."  I watched him slouch down in the front seat with such a sad look on his face. But it wasn't much longer that he forgot what he said and didn't know where we are or what we did.

I hate this disease and my prayer is to find a cure from this terrible disease.

Sincerely,
Marie Fostino
Alzheimer's A Caretakers Journal
Seaboard Press An Imprint of James A Rock Pub., Co.
http://www.mariefostino.com/
http://www.mariefostino.blogspot.com/