Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

One of my personal traditions at the end of the year is a quick flip through my desk calendar to review the events and milestones that took place. Only this year, the world crisis overshadowed just about everything. “What’s to review?” I thought. But as I pondered the question a…

Every week, I receive an email from a friend that’s filled with cartoons, jokes, and quirky one-liners. And this time around, one quip struck me as feeling eerily true: “It feels weird being the same age as old people.” Why? Well, like most folks who share my age (I’m 69),…

One of the first symptoms of ALS I experienced was a sudden weakness in my legs and feet. This meant that without warning, whenever I walked I felt as if I had stepped in a hole, and more than once I ended up taking a nasty fall. Even when I…

During these final weeks of 2020, I’ve been reflecting on the various ways this world health crisis has affected the ALS community. One evolving activity that has held my interest ever since I included it in my post-pandemic predictions in a column last April is online ALS support groups.

As one of the moderators for the ALS News Today Forums, I get to welcome new members and learn a little bit about each person. Many of these new members are newly diagnosed patients. Besides wanting to learn as much as possible about ALS, they also tell me they…

ALS is certainly a serious condition, and there is nothing funny about it, but many funny moments can happen. For my caregiver husband and me, holding on to a sense of humor is such an important part of our relationship that we can’t imagine letting a day go by without…

Although it’s hard to find much to celebrate in 2020, this year happens to mark an important milestone for my husband and me. I’m celebrating achieving 10 years of living with ALS, and for my husband, 2020 marks a decade of his role as a caregiver — to me. I…

I love being in win-win situations. We all do. Especially while world events continue to push the boundaries of our patience. And my latest project offers me many wins: It’s the perfect addition to my current home voice program, and I’m helping to research ALS voice issues. Like 80%…

It’s always gratifying to know what I write is helpful to others living with ALS. Recently, I wrote about how I periodically take the time to review my daily habits and set new goals for the month. While readers left many comments thanking me, others asked if I had…

Happy October, everyone! It’s time for a mini-celebration. During this crazy year, each new month means more of 2020 is behind us. We have all undergone change over the months, especially those of us facing the challenges of ALS. However, our changes extend indefinitely. Maintaining my resilience is a priority.