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…
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For a while now, I’ve been keeping tabs on the new technologies of virtual assistants, voice activation, and artificial intelligence (AI), especially its potential benefits for the ALS community. Some of it I’ve…
I’ll admit I often worry if I’m being productive with my time and spending it wisely. That’s always been important to me, but it intensified the day I was told I had ALS.
Six years ago, I was a new patient columnist for ALS News Today and wrote a column about how planning ahead helps me dine out with ease. But since that time, my…
Sometimes living with my ALS isn’t a matter of finding the right balance of effort and ease. At times, I have zero mental motivation to make the effort in the first place!…
The other day, right in the middle of doing my daily chair exercises, I had to stop and turn down the volume of my mind’s inner critic. Because I was feeling a little sluggish…
Last month, a series of health issues bombarded me. They flew in on top of my usual ALS symptoms, causing me to become frustrated and ask, “Has this become my new normal?” But…
Every once in a while, I step onto my soapbox (mine has special safety rails) to voice my view about an important issue in the ALS community. This time, I’m here with praise for…
Every once in a while, I have to stop and declare, “I’m spinning way too many plates!” That happens whenever I begin to feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks I’ve set myself up…
A few months after I learned I had ALS, I was invited to participate in a walkathon to help raise funds for the ALS Association. I’m sure my curt reply of “No,…
I love learning about all the great activities happening during ALS Awareness Month, but I also worry that we’re attracting the attention of unscrupulous health advocates and clinics who target vulnerable ALS…
Every once in a while, a common question circulates on ALS social media sites: “What would you do differently if you were diagnosed today?” The replies are interesting and often filled with regrets,…
Imagine this: A 71-year-old ALS patient riding a mobility scooter visits her local furniture store. I mean, what can go wrong? Well, a whole heck of a lot can go wrong, at least…
