When Dagmar Munn was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 59 in 2010, she tapped into her nearly 30 years of professional health and wellness experience. She not only follows her own advice but also inspires and teaches others to do the same. In addition to her columnist role, she is one of the moderators for the ALS News Today Forums and writes a personal blog called “ALS and Wellness.” She lives with her husband in Green Valley, Arizona, enjoying finding humor in life’s situations and spending free time pursuing creative projects in fiber arts.One of the interesting mental challenges I continue to experience as I live with ALS is its effect on my perception of time. The predicted prognosis of living only two to five years after…
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It all began as one of those typical online interactions when someone reaches out and asks for help. A gentleman contacted me via Facebook, explaining that his friend was recently diagnosed with ALS. He…
I’m always on the lookout for self-care strategies that help me cope and live with my ALS. Recently, I added two quick and easy skills I call “self-care minis” to my ever-growing list. They…
Although I was smack in the middle of a vast parking lot and surrounded by a hundred strangers, I felt genuinely hopeful for the first time in a long, long while. I was in…
I’ll admit that during my high school days, when our studies turned toward physics, I didn’t pay much attention. Gravity, the invisible force that keeps us on the ground and makes things fall, seemed…
“Have you ever participated in clinical trials?” That’s a common question among ALS patients. What’s my standard answer? “It’s complicated. I’m participating in several studies, but even though I’d like to, I haven’t been…
Last week, I stepped onto my soapbox (mine has special safety handrails) and voiced my opinion about an issue that’s been bugging me for several years. It’s a problem I share with about 7.5…
I’m happy to announce I’ve finally resolved a love-hate relationship — with my AFOs. It took persistence, but I can now step into my white, molded plastic ankle-foot orthoses and walk pain-free. That’s…
Ten years ago, if you had asked me how I was feeling when I woke up in the morning, I would’ve ignored you and disappeared beneath the blankets. That was during my first…
I’m often asked by others in the ALS community for tips and insight from my past 10 years of living with ALS. While I am grateful for both making it this far while maintaining…
As I hung up the phone following a short chat with my neurologist, an old saying bubbled up in my mind: “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” What was I bemoaning…
I’ve always believed in the importance of having heroes and role models to help me cope with ALS. In fact, I keep a list of names in a special folder titled “ALS Inspiration.” But most…
Lately, I’ve seen an escalation of messages urging me to protect myself from hackers, scammers, and other potential identity thieves. But there’s one identity thief that’s always on my radar: my ALS. That’s because…
