Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

ALS is a life-changing diagnosis, and like many newly diagnosed patients, I was disappointed and frustrated at what felt like a standstill in medical progress against the disease. “If they can send humans into space, why can’t they cure ALS?” I’d lament, Now, 11 years later and with still…

Most folks know me through my column, “Living Well With ALS,” and perhaps don’t know that for the past three years, I’ve also been a co-moderator of the ALS News Today Forums. I thoroughly enjoy this responsibility, and to bring a bit of levity to this online job,…

What’s my big wish as we all move forward with pandemic life in 2022? To live in a world with better communication skills. Specifically, to improve how we listen to each other. Because from where I sit, there’s a whole lot of telling going on and not enough waiting to…

Anyone up for setting their New Year’s resolutions? Not me. Normally, I’d use these days in January to conjure up resolutions, create new daily routines, and set personal goals for the year ahead. But after the past two years of roller-coaster events that blew holes in my resolutions, I feel…

Lately, living with ALS amid the continuing world health crisis has me dialing my resilience-meter up to “high.” Why? Both have limited treatments and no cure in sight, and convert our old “normal” lives into an ever-changing world of new normal. And both require resilience. Resilience is our ability to…

When I was diagnosed with ALS, one of the many things that changed was my relationship with clothes. I used to buy and wear clothes that caught my fancy. Now, living with ALS means I’m choosing comfort and the ease of getting myself dressed over the latest trend. Has this…

My ALS symptoms showed up in my feet and legs in 2010. Normally strong and coordinated from years of gymnastics and fitness classes, my lower limbs became weak and unreliable. That’s when my neurologist recommended I begin using a walker. To be precise, she meant I use a…

I spent most of my life following daily habits and routines that shaped my perspective about how life ought to be. When ALS appeared, it brought change and created imaginary roadblocks in my mind. I didn’t want things to change, to learn new habits, or to adapt to my…

Recently, a journalist and author from New York contacted me about a book he’s working on. His theme is the role that humor plays in helping people cope with a wide variety of diseases, disabilities, and physical conditions. He wanted to include my ALS-related experiences, and I gladly agreed to…

When I learned I had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), my whole world changed. My husband’s world changed, too, as he suddenly found himself in the role of being my caregiver. For some ALS patients and caregivers, the new responsibilities that follow a diagnosis begin almost immediately. Ours followed a slower…