Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

You might assume from reading my column over the past few years that I’m the model of positivity. I certainly try to be, but sometimes I’m not. Like many who live with ALS, I also have moments of frustration that open the door to me saying the…

An email that landed in my inbox the other day made me sit up and take notice. It was from a dear friend who is a care services coordinator for the ALS Association of Wisconsin. She shared a link to an article about a recent study on mindfulness and…

Does it matter what I choose to wear to my ALS medical appointments? I think it does, and my reasons might surprise you. Hopefully, once I explain myself, you’ll be convinced that what you wear will make a difference for you, too. Busy days, busy me In my pre-ALS…

Is it just me, or are people speaking at a faster clip nowadays? Yeah, maybe it’s just me. It seems I’ve become hypersensitive to the various speeds and rhythms we use to communicate with each other, especially now that I live with dysarthria, a symptom of ALS that affects…

I’ve been living with ALS for 12 years now, and it’s certainly taught me many lessons. They’ve involved having patience and perseverance, as well as getting back up over and over. The most important lesson, however, has been to let the present moment be what it is, instead of…

One of the many things I love about living in Arizona is its unique weather patterns. For 10 months out of the year, we have warm temperatures and clear skies, followed by two months of thunderstorms. But lately, my ALS has made me dread each downpour — until I…

Sometimes we all need a little help deciding whether to do something. I know I certainly do. That’s when I rely on what I call my “ALS bumper stickers.” They’re the latest addition to my ALS stress toolkit. The toolkit is a collection of strategies I use to maintain…

My husband is my primary caregiver. In fact, he’s been my only caregiver for the past 12 years that I’ve been living with ALS. That changed last week, when he needed medical tests that required an overnight stay in the hospital. That’s when we turned to a local home…

There I was, just living each day and minding my own business. I was following all the guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and wearing a mask everywhere I went, when all of a sudden, BAM! The COVID-19 virus found me. What followed were…

Newly diagnosed ALS patients often contact me and ask what I eat, what I do, and how I’ve managed to continue living with ALS for the past 12 years. I explain that there isn’t a magic solution; it’s a combination of following our doctor’s guidelines and learning how to…