Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

“Keep on moving!” That’s something I tell myself every day. Since I live with ALS, however, keeping myself moving is easier said than done — especially in the afternoon, when my energy drops and I slump deeper into my chair. Oh, my, it’d be so easy to just stay…

It takes courage to reach out to a complete stranger and ask for their help. I know, because I’m that stranger, and the ones seeking my help are people newly diagnosed with ALS. But the good thing is, we’re not strangers for long. That’s because I try to make…

Among the many challenges I experienced during my early months with ALS was the eerie prophecy of a life expectancy of two to five years following diagnosis. Besides putting the brakes on all of my future hopes and dreams, it made my brain feel worthless. I’d ask myself,…

Were you able to watch the recent Paris Olympics? I did, and I’ll admit I tuned in nearly every day. But I wasn’t always such a die-hard fan. Oh, I used to look forward to watching them — until I was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. Abruptly, I felt…

Those crazy, runaway thoughts. When I was young, I used to have them all the time. That’s because I didn’t know the whole story about certain things, so my mind would invent the answers. While growing up, I learned the value of having all the facts, and my crazy…

Copying someone’s actions can be fun and help us learn new things. But imitation can also be dangerous, especially if you live with a serious condition such as ALS, which I have. I learned a lesson in imitation many years ago, while I was teaching a class in aerobic…

Imagine you’re all alone, stranded on a remote island and surrounded by miles and miles of uncharted ocean. Here’s my question: How much time would you let pass before giving up hope of ever being rescued? One year? How about five years? Or are you an “I’ll never give up…

How do you handle an unexpected change to your plans for the day? Do you shake your fist in the air and complain, or pause and look for opportunities? Last week, I was doing a little of both. I have ALS, and even though all of my life plans…

I like collecting buzzwords. These are the popular words or phrases that weave their way into and out of our language every year. In fact, I think writing this weekly column for the past seven years has sharpened my sensitivity to trendy jargon. Some are fun to use and…

Although I’ve accepted the many beeps, alerts, and reminders that pop in and out during my day, I’ve also developed the habit of selectively tuning out a few of them. I recently learned that’s not a good habit to have, especially because I live with ALS and some alerts…