When Dagmar was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 59 in 2010, she tapped into her nearly 30 years of professional experience. She not only follows her own wellness and fitness advice but also inspires and teaches others to do the same. Dagmar is a patient columnist at BioNews, writing “Living Well with ALS.” In addition, she is one of the moderators for the ALS News Today Forum and writes a personal blog called “ALS and Wellness.” She lives in Arizona, enjoying finding humor in life's situations, and spends her free time pursuing creative projects in fiber arts.It’s time to fill the balloons, hang the streamers, and invite our friends and family to join us for a summer full of fun ALS awareness events! Did you know that we’re also celebrating 32 years since May was designated as ALS Awareness Month and that 2024 is…
“It was easy, fun, and I’d do it all over again.” I know those are not the typical words used by someone who just finished participating in a research study, especially one focused on ALS. But that’s exactly how I felt last week when I pressed the submit button…
For those of us living with ALS, every day can have a stressful event. The key, I believe, is to get through the event and, if possible, remember it later with humor. Even in a parking lot. “Let’s circle the parking lot one more time,” my agitated husband said.
Adapt, adapt, adapt! Readers of this column know that’s one of my favorite mottos. I depend on it, especially because I live with ALS. It helps me deal with the condition’s ongoing changes and keeps me moving forward. But sometimes I have to push back. And when…
Last week I hit a milestone of sorts: my 35th ALS clinic visit. That’s not to say that medical appointments deserve the same recognition as birthdays or graduations, to be memorialized in a scrapbook. But because ALS has been a dominant part of my life for the past…
ALS challenges our sense of self and ability to accept change. However, the triggers that motivate us toward acceptance can be different for each patient. Recently, on the ALS News Today Forums, we’ve been having a lively response to the question, “What is the most difficult thing for…
I have an imaginary toolkit filled with a variety of stress-reduction strategies to help me when life’s speed bumps appear. Living with ALS is stressful enough, but add in TV news, social media, and other minor dramas and I can quickly feel overwhelmed. In addition, I was bored…
“Do as much as you can, but be careful. And don’t overdo.” Those were the words of advice bouncing around in my head during the long drive home from one of my first ALS clinic appointments. I’d brought a list of questions for my neurologist, including one asking if…
Last week, I received an email from a newly diagnosed ALS patient asking questions about rollators (walkers with wheels). “I think it’s time I begin using one,” he wrote, “but I don’t want to. What can I do instead?” I immediately felt empathy and sympathy for his…
My introduction to ALS followed the same path as many other patients. After months of worry, I was relieved to finally receive a diagnosis. But that was the tip of the iceberg. I then had to understand what ALS was and how to cope with my symptoms,…
