Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

Even though I know my brain is in charge, there are days when my body seems to have a mind of its own. When that happens, I remind myself that my body is not the enemy. In fact, there is no enemy at all — just me, misunderstanding my…

I’ve been busy learning how to drive! No, not a four-wheeled automobile — it’s a six-wheeled power wheelchair. Although I continue to rely on a rollator to help me walk inside the house and a mobility scooter when I’m out and about, getting the power wheelchair was a strategic,…

I’m always on the lookout for examples of how other people successfully handle life’s big and little speed bumps. Because I need all the inspiration I can get, especially since my biggest speed bump is living with ALS. Little ALS bumps happen almost every day, constantly testing my resilience.

Earlier this month, I played host to a two-week online event in the ALS News Today Forums: “Funny Moments: Finding Humor in ALS.” I was anxious about it and wondered if members would even bother to participate. Boy, was I wrong. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s…

I am always looking for ways to simplify my life and help my days go by a bit more smoothly. But when you live with ALS, like I do, there is always one extra thing to do, plan, or think about before you can even begin an activity. It’s…

The longer I live with ALS, the more I’m forced to learn about myself by constantly adjusting to my body’s limitations and learning how to pace my days. Lately, I’ve been taking lessons in how to thrive from a large, graceful houseplant on our back porch. We are both,…

I spent five days last week corresponding with a fellow ALS patient in the U.K. We met during a unique online event that reminded me that, while this disease can feel isolating, the ALS community wraps all the way around the globe. Beyond the connection, I walked away with…

As soon as I reached for the sock, I knew it would fall to the floor. And it did. I retrieved it by slowly bending sideways in my chair, stretching my arm in its direction, and with a mighty oomph, finally seized the soft fabric. That was just one speed…

I’ll admit that there were times when I simply wanted to toss my ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) into the trash bin and be done with them. In the early years after my ALS diagnosis, those braces represented one more massive change in my life that I had to learn to…

I originally planned to write this week about the small ways I’m maintaining my mobility and muscle strength while living with ALS. However, I waffled back and forth about whether this was a suitable topic. My hesitation wasn’t because my observations were unreliable, but because I worried readers might…