tips

A couple days ago, as I was dishing up our family dinner, I popped a piece of chicken in my mouth and accidentally aspirated, drawing a small piece of chicken or phlegm into my lungs. I tried to cough it up, but wasn’t getting it out. I winced and pounded…

Sometimes we all need a little help deciding whether to do something. I know I certainly do. That’s when I rely on what I call my “ALS bumper stickers.” They’re the latest addition to my ALS stress toolkit. The toolkit is a collection of strategies I use to maintain…

Sometimes the simplest things can help us the most. That’s what I learned in the months right after I received a diagnosis of ALS. Like most newly diagnosed ALS patients, I felt overwhelmed trying to find out what ALS was, not really wanting to know, and just wishing…

My week has been full of projects, online responsibilities, physical activities, minicelebrations, and, oh yes, living with ALS. And while we ALS patients often complain that having our disease is a 24/7 challenge with no days off, I’ve found a way to give myself a mental break and enjoy…

“I been in the right place, but it must have been the wrong time, I’d have said the right thing, but I must have used the wrong line, I’d have took the right road, but I must have took a wrong turn, Would have made the right move, but I…

ALS life sure involves a lot of sitting. Although I keep myself busy with daily projects, most of what I do has me sitting at a computer. Added to that, I sit when eating meals, watching TV, riding in our van, and riding my mobility scooter. That’s a whole lot…

Like most folks who live with ALS, I tend to get stuck in the shortsighted day-to-day management of my symptoms. Over the years, I’ve developed several strategies that help me change my mental focus from a short view to a longer one in which I’m open to the possibilities of…

Learning I had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was certainly a big adjustment. The changes to my life that slowly chipped away at my goals and sense of self made me feel lost. It was only when I observed ALS patients who were thriving that I was able to appreciate how…

Among the many challenges of living with ALS are the physical symptoms of muscle stiffness and weakness. I have both. During my first year with ALS, I’d wake up and walk into the bathroom doing a good imitation of the clumsy, lurching steps of Frankenstein’s monster. On other days,…

Lately, I’ve noticed a strange trend happening in several online ALS communities I belong to. I’ve seen an increase in posts from people who haven’t yet been diagnosed with ALS asking members of the group to essentially offer medical opinions. A typical post begins with a list of physical symptoms,…