Influencing Mindsets: When to Speak Up About COVID-19 Guidelines
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…
Living Well With ALS
— Dagmar Munn
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.
Featured Post
Many plastic bottles pose problems for those of us with ALS
If you’ve been keeping up with my recent columns, you’ve likely figured out that even though I have ALS, I maintain a glass-half-full attitude. So, today, I thought you’d enjoy learning how I…
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Pandemic Pitfalls: Avoiding the Compare-despair Trap
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…
Talking Myself into a New Habit
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…
A Look Forward: My Post-pandemic Predictions
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…
Handling Stress During the COVID-19 Crisis
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…
My Strategy for Facing Change: Adapt, Learn, Survive
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.
ALS Awareness: Minding Me While Minding the Message
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.
Stepping onto the ALS Rating Scale
Oh, how I wish living with ALS weren’t so murky: We don’t know its cause, we don’t have a cure, and we measure symptom progression by way of 12 questions. I can’t do…
Living Well On the Rare Side
The other day, I was chatting with a friend about Rare Disease Day. Wait, what? You don’t know about Rare Disease Day? Well, don’t feel bad. Last year I missed it, thinking it…
Hooray! You Can Hear Me Now!
Sometimes you get lucky and life gives you a break, which is not always the norm for someone living with ALS. The past two weeks have been rather fun for me, thanks to…
Listen! Can You Hear Me Now?
Living with ALS has taught me to adapt, adapt, and adapt. Because ALS symptoms tend to change, change, and change. And one of the symptoms I’ve been learning to adapt to is dysarthria,…
My Success with Grab Bar Acrobatics
Whenever I’m out and about running errands, I’m aware of the possibility I’ll need to make a quick stop at, ahem, the public restroom. But though I have ALS and rely on a mobility…
