Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

I love it when all of my planning unfolds exactly as expected, and at the end of the day, I can pause to exhale, smile, and tell myself, “That went extremely well.” I wasn’t always an avid planner, but I’ve become one. Planning is just one of the many…

Is anyone else bombarded by social media messages to set goals, make New Year’s resolutions, or create a bucket list for 2024? I sure have been. In my pre-ALS days, I heeded the reminders. I looked forward to breaking in a brand-new desk calendar and filling it with my…

What if I told you that eating sugar cookies and cherry pie could help slow down the progression of ALS symptoms? You’d probably say, “Hey Dagmar, you’ve gone bananas!” I know, I know. The suggestion sounds contrary to what we’ve always been told about healthy eating, especially for anyone…

One important habit I enjoy doing every day is keeping up with the latest ALS-related news and research. But every once in a while, I come across an article that has me muttering, “Was this research even needed?” And more often than not, I answer my own question with, “Well,…

As much as I’d love to be perceived as an I’ve-got-it-all-figured-out sort of ALS patient, I’m not. I have to invent mental strategies all the time to help me navigate through my day. Lately, I’ve been easily distracted and not paying attention to what I’m doing. Only then will…

Who knew that a malfunctioning office chair could actually be a helpful addition to my daily ALS-focused exercises? I certainly didn’t. But now that I’ve grown accustomed to its sneaky ways, I want to keep my chair just the way it is. I type on a laptop placed on…

“Oh my, are you OK? Did you fall? Can I help you up?” Walking into the living room several years ago, my adult daughter was startled to find me on my hands and knees on the floor, huffing and puffing. Twisting to look in her direction, I replied, “Thanks, but…

Being told I had ALS felt as if a rug had suddenly been pulled out from under me. My world changed all at once, with no possibility of turning it back. That happened in 2010, and it was certainly a major curveball in my life. But I’ve been living…

Swallowing. It’s such a simple thing for most to do. But swallowing can also be a scary maneuver, especially when it turns into an ALS symptom called dysphagia. I began experiencing it about four years after my initial ALS diagnosis. And because that was nine years ago,…

Yay, it’s October! Fall colors, pumpkin pie, Halloween, and my birthday month. Not only am I feeling “another year older, another year wiser,” I’m also grateful and appreciative that I’ve had 72 birthdays, even though I’m living with ALS. But reaching this particular milestone has me pondering the complicated…