Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

This week, I’m celebrating my third anniversary of writing columns for ALS News Today. This special column expresses my gratitude for having the unique opportunity to share my thoughts and wellness knowledge with the ALS community. It is a thank-you to loyal readers for their support, comments, and friendship.

During my past 10 years of living with ALS, I’ve had to adapt to a lot of new normals. One of the most important has been learning to navigate what I call my “ALS time zone.” It represents the unique pace or rhythm of my day, versus the pace…

A large part of successfully living with ALS is to face each challenge with a positive mindset and find workable solutions so I can continue to move forward with my life. Lately, a 4-by-6-inch piece of cloth — yes, a face mask — is putting me to the test. What’s…

Here’s a fun challenge. In the spirit of celebrating ALS Awareness Month, I invite you to play my A-L-S word game. It’s a simple game I created to help me cope with the stress and anxiety of being newly diagnosed with ALS. It goes along with the strategies…

Did you know that rollators were invented nearly 40 years ago? A Swedish woman with polio added four wheels to her walker, and the idea was an instant success. Most of us who use a rollator don’t really care about its history. We’re just happy they exist to help…

Release the balloons and cue the marching band! May is ALS Awareness Month! Wait, what? The balloons are back-ordered? And the marching band is still sheltering in place? Well, ALS doesn’t stop, and neither should we. ALS Awareness Month is here — so let’s make it a success! My…

Because I have ALS, I need to minimize the risk of getting the coronavirus. So, I’m doing my best to follow the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. And I appreciate the efforts of everyone who’s doing the same. Certainly wearing a mask and gloves, wiping down surfaces, and keeping…

Remember those “100 Things to Do During a Pandemic” emails that arrived in our inboxes a while back? Well, a few days ago, I came across one, and while reading it, I felt the symptoms of “compare-despair” welling up in my mind. Years ago, I might have followed the negativity…

Recently, I noticed a surprising side effect from just a few weeks of following the stay-at-home guidelines: I’ve been talking less. A whole lot less. And to be honest, on some days, my conversations were limited to “yes” and “no” answers. That worried me. Because I’ve worked hard to prevent…

I’m an avid trend-watcher and enjoy tracking how new phrases and products end up permanently woven into our daily lives. For example, only a few months ago, a mention of flattening the curve or social distancing would cause most folks to shrug their shoulders. Now, both phrases have become rallying…