Living Well with ALS - a column by Dagmar Munn

Those crazy, runaway thoughts. When I was young, I used to have them all the time. That’s because I didn’t know the whole story about certain things, so my mind would invent the answers. While growing up, I learned the value of having all the facts, and my crazy…

Copying someone’s actions can be fun and help us learn new things. But imitation can also be dangerous, especially if you live with a serious condition such as ALS, which I have. I learned a lesson in imitation many years ago, while I was teaching a class in aerobic…

Imagine you’re all alone, stranded on a remote island and surrounded by miles and miles of uncharted ocean. Here’s my question: How much time would you let pass before giving up hope of ever being rescued? One year? How about five years? Or are you an “I’ll never give up…

How do you handle an unexpected change to your plans for the day? Do you shake your fist in the air and complain, or pause and look for opportunities? Last week, I was doing a little of both. I have ALS, and even though all of my life plans…

I like collecting buzzwords. These are the popular words or phrases that weave their way into and out of our language every year. In fact, I think writing this weekly column for the past seven years has sharpened my sensitivity to trendy jargon. Some are fun to use and…

Although I’ve accepted the many beeps, alerts, and reminders that pop in and out during my day, I’ve also developed the habit of selectively tuning out a few of them. I recently learned that’s not a good habit to have, especially because I live with ALS and some alerts…

Recently, while at my ALS clinic, I had an enlightening discussion with my neurologist about the evolving understanding of the disease mechanisms of ALS. My doctor told me that for many years, the medical community viewed ALS as a singular condition with similar needs and symptom…

Amid the busyness of last month’s ALS awareness activities, I almost missed learning about the debut of a special movie that I was quite involved with during its early stages. My friend’s email opened with, “Were your ears ringing last night?” That made me sit up straight. She told…

From the moment I wake up to when I finish breakfast, I do things in the same order as I’ve been doing them for the past 10 years. That’s because my secret dream is to be calm, relaxed, and easygoing each day. But the steady flood of life’s curveballs,…

An old adage says, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” Well, I’m in that future now, so today, I’m sending my past self a basket full of thanks. Why? Because every time I walk into our bathroom, I’m grateful. And I believe the modifications my…