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…
During my past 10 years of living with ALS, I’ve had to adapt to a lot of new normals. One of the most important has been learning to navigate what I call my…
A large part of successfully living with ALS is to face each challenge with a positive mindset and find workable solutions so I can continue to move forward with my life. Lately, a 4-by-6-inch…
Here’s a fun challenge. In the spirit of celebrating ALS Awareness Month, I invite you to play my A-L-S word game. It’s a simple game I created to help me cope with…
Did you know that rollators were invented nearly 40 years ago? A Swedish woman with polio added four wheels to her walker, and the idea was an instant success. Most of us who…
Release the balloons and cue the marching band! May is ALS Awareness Month! Wait, what? The balloons are back-ordered? And the marching band is still sheltering in place? Well, ALS doesn’t stop, and…
Because I have ALS, I need to minimize the risk of getting the coronavirus. So, I’m doing my best to follow the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. And I appreciate the efforts of…
Remember those “100 Things to Do During a Pandemic” emails that arrived in our inboxes a while back? Well, a few days ago, I came across one, and while reading it, I felt the…
Recently, I noticed a surprising side effect from just a few weeks of following the stay-at-home guidelines: I’ve been talking less. A whole lot less. And to be honest, on some days, my conversations…
I’m an avid trend-watcher and enjoy tracking how new phrases and products end up permanently woven into our daily lives. For example, only a few months ago, a mention of flattening the curve or…
What an emotional roller-coaster time we’re in right now! During this COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve felt the upswings of coping and adapting well, followed by the downswings of worry that this crisis would never…
Social distancing? Shelter in place? For many like me who live with ALS, the recent COVID-19 guidelines to “stay home” and “work from home” are what we already do! Every. Single. Day.
Spring — the kickoff for a multitude of ALS awareness events — is just around the corner! Many are already gearing up, and this is my signal to dial up my mental resilience.