Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

Last month, I read a blog post from the ALS Association that made me sit up and pay attention. It told the story of a woman with ALS-related voice issues who learned specific vocal techniques normally utilized by actors to extend her ability to speak without assistive…

Quality caregiving and care-accepting depend on effective communication between parties. It’s a delicate balancing act, especially when the caregiver is a spouse or family member. With traditional roles reversed, misunderstandings can happen and feelings easily get bruised. Giving care and accepting it is challenging enough without adding…

Among the many challenges I experienced during my early months with ALS was its effect on my perception of time. Before ALS, I pretty much meandered through life in full confidence that many more years lie ahead of me. But with the onset of ALS, all that changed.

I’m one of those folks who follow daily life routines. Simply put, it’s a series of predictable habits that bring structure to my life and help me maintain a positive attitude while living with ALS. But try as I might, my daily routines did not survive the past…

With 2017 quickly coming to a close, I decided to learn a little more about my readers and which of my posts were the most popular. While scrolling through the numbers I identified my most-read posts and the posts that drew the most comments. I learned that ultimately, we…

  Seize the Day! Lately that’s been my morning mental mantra. I visualize it as a chant and it’s the secret weapon I use every December to help me adjust to the onset of winter and face the end of the year. Even though I’m lucky to live…

OK, so now I’m an official member of the ALS Boogie Board Club! No, it’s not a club for surfer-dudes with ALS. I’m using a Boogie Board Jot 8.5 eWriter, a unique gadget that replaces writing with pen and paper. I received it during my recent visit to the…

Last week I spent a few hours visiting with my medical team at the ALS Clinic. Usually I leave feeling a bit tired from all the testing and chatter, but I always leave satisfied I’ve learned something new and helpful. You’d think that since I’ve been…

For most people, the holidays are a time of joy and good cheer. But when living with ALS, or providing care for someone who does, holiday activities have the potential to add stress to an otherwise happy season. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on a…

Even though November is National Caregivers Month, I think we also should include Good Samaritans and caring strangers. Everyone who opens a door or helps carry a bag, hands us items off the top shelf or points us in the right direction; a big thank you…