Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

Having spent most of my life pursuing gymnastics and dance, being able to move with balance and symmetry was for me a priority. That meant keeping my body’s left and right sides strong and flexible, along with making balancing on one leg look just as easy as…

My recent columns about rollators, scooters and electric grocery carts brought many positive comments from readers who shared their own similar experiences. From these comments, I noted how when living with a condition such as ALS, so many of us have a warrior mindset; each day is a…

Did you know that walkers weren’t invented until the 1950s? I shudder to think how mobility-challenged people managed to get around, or didn’t, before that time. And it wasn’t until 1978, when a woman in Sweden (who had polio) added four wheels onto her walker, creating what…

Last week, I had the opportunity to listen to an exciting and encouraging webinar on “Exercise and ALS: A Discussion of Research and Practical Recommendations.” Of course, I realize that exciting and encouraging don’t always show up in the same sentence with exercise and…

Like so many who live with ALS, I have weak muscles in my lower legs that limit my mobility. To help me roam through the house, I rely on a walker with wheels. I also use it for covering short distances when my husband and I are out running errands.

In my last column, I shared how I’m always on alert for speed bumps as I travel down life’s highway, while living with ALS. These are the metaphorical unknowns that pop up, and challenge my resilience and positive mindset. But in addition to speed bumps, it’s the mental potholes that…

I have a good friend who also lives with a life-threatening illness; mine is ALS, her’s is cancer. Recently we visited, and I asked how things were going. Smiling broadly, she replied, “Oh, I’m still just one banana peel away from dropping the other shoe! So, hide the bananas!” We…

“How about we try that new place that just opened up near the mall?”  I knew my husband was referring to the new restaurant in town. In the old days, I’d simply agree and that would be that. But now, living with ALS, I’ve learned a thing or two about…

Living with ALS means learning to live with a whole new normal. For example, before ALS, my old normal included diligently following recommended guidelines for annual health screening, such as monitoring bone density. This test (thanks to modern technology) is a simple x-ray of the lower spine and hips in…