Dear Santa, here’s my special wish list for the holiday season. I’m not asking for toys or special treats, just your help in making my holiday social events blend better with my life with ALS. Specifically, I’m hoping you can help me when I attend social gatherings, dine in…
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
I was recently asked: “If you could reduce uncertainty in one area of your life with ALS, which would it be?” I took a few moments to think, then blurted out: “Keep my current symptoms exactly as they are. No more changes, no more surprises.” What? No wanting…
Can it be that we were cheering on athletes at the Olympics only a few months ago? Where did the summer go? Looking back, I realize I spent most of my summer and early fall months distracted by the hoopla of world and national events, and now I’m exhausted. I’m…
I collect drinking straws. Not just any old straws, mind you, but long, wide-barreled plastic straws. My assortment includes several unusual straws as well, and they all help me drink beverages with ease even though I have dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing — a symptom of ALS. As I wrote…
Hmmmmm. That’s what my body feels when it’s doing its “humming thing.” It’s an all-over buzzy sensation that I chalk up to being another quirky symptom of my ALS. It’s a feeling I’ve never mentioned during my ALS clinic visits, mainly because I want to keep the visit rolling along…
One day, about four years after my diagnosis of ALS, I began having trouble pronouncing words. My tongue felt thick and couldn’t form words at the speed I was thinking them. My speech came out garbled and my brain hurt from trying to overcome the disconnect. At the time,…
Life’s curveballs happen to us all. Many of my column’s topics have been about the unexpected events I face while I live with ALS, as well as what I do to conquer them. But I believe the secret to my ability to handle life’s ups and downs is…
“What was I thinking?” The words boomeranged around my mind as I stood frozen in place under the hot Arizona sun. I was experiencing an ALS patient’s worst nightmare: being stuck with an expanse of sidewalk ahead of me, the same distance behind me, and absolutely zero energy in…
Last week I visited my dermatologist for my annual skin exam and when it was over I left his office with a brand new perspective about my ALS. I’m quite diligent about my annual medical exams — eye exams, regular ALS clinic visits, dental care, and in this case,…
“Keep on moving!” That’s something I tell myself every day. Since I live with ALS, however, keeping myself moving is easier said than done — especially in the afternoon, when my energy drops and I slump deeper into my chair. Oh, my, it’d be so easy to just stay…
It takes courage to reach out to a complete stranger and ask for their help. I know, because I’m that stranger, and the ones seeking my help are people newly diagnosed with ALS. But the good thing is, we’re not strangers for long. That’s because I try to make…
Among the many challenges I experienced during my early months with ALS was the eerie prophecy of a life expectancy of two to five years following diagnosis. Besides putting the brakes on all of my future hopes and dreams, it made my brain feel worthless. I’d ask myself,…
Were you able to watch the recent Paris Olympics? I did, and I’ll admit I tuned in nearly every day. But I wasn’t always such a die-hard fan. Oh, I used to look forward to watching them — until I was diagnosed with ALS in 2010. Abruptly, I felt…
Explore More Columns
Discussion
Discussion
Discussion