Looking back on the progress (really) in ALS awareness
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…
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
How I made my own resilience checklist to live with ALS
Something was missing from the packet of patient information my doctor gave me on the day she told me I had ALS. But I didn’t discover that missing item until 12 months later.
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Using my speech issues to improve voice recognition software
“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…
Finding humor while waiting for a space in an accessible parking lot
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…
ALS taught me to be adaptable, but sometimes I push back
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…
Enjoying my memory scrapbook of visits to ALS clinics
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…
How a 3-legged pup inspired me to start accepting life with ALS
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,…
I have a new tool for reducing stress: Lines and dots on paper
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…
ALS changed my exercise regimen, but I haven’t abandoned the habit
“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…
New to rollators for ALS? Here’s what helped me adjust
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…
The landscape for ALS patients has changed over the years
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.
How a changed perspective and a little humor help me with ALS
One of my duties as a moderator for the ALS News Today Forums is to encourage new members to discuss their worries about living with the disease. I often find myself repeating…
The tips and strategies that help me participate in life
Living with ALS for the past 14 years has taught me an important lesson on adapting to a new way of life. Before ALS, my life was filled with…
