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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
“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…
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…
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…