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.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? Because every time I walk…
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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 the advice I once received…
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 “ALS and Mental Health,”…
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 to do while living…
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, thank you” came as a…
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 patients and their families. My…
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, such as trips not taken…
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 according to all the worst-case…
Who knew that losing the ability to roll over in bed was an essential indicator of worsening ALS symptoms? I sure didn’t. That is, not until I was diagnosed with ALS and learned that a whole host…
I take pride in keeping a well-organized to-do list. Each day of the week has a set number of tasks, and each task is broken down into doable actions. It’s the “I’m under control and calm” approach. It’s perfect…
“So tell us, Dagmar, what’s your latest project?” The question came from my neurologist as we chatted during my recent ALS clinic visit. She asked not only for herself, but for the medical student who was also in…
ALS has taught me many life lessons, and a very important one is to never give up. For example, some days I get up, get going, and suddenly notice that one of my body parts isn’t moving as…
In a recent column, I described how I panicked following my ALS diagnosis. With the prognosis of having only two to three years to live, suddenly there weren’t enough hours in the day to do what I…
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