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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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 celebrating 32 years since May…
“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 ALS. But that’s exactly…
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 in a parking lot. “Let’s…
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 ongoing changes and keeps me…
Last week I hit a milestone of sorts: my 35th ALS clinic visit. That’s not to say that medical appointments deserve the same recognition as birthdays or graduations, to be memorialized in a scrapbook. But because ALS…
ALS challenges our sense of self and ability to accept change. However, the triggers that motivate us toward acceptance can be different for each patient. Recently, on the ALS News Today Forums, we’ve been having a lively…
I have an imaginary toolkit filled with a variety of stress-reduction strategies to help me when life’s speed bumps appear. Living with ALS is stressful enough, but add in TV news, social media, and other minor dramas…
“Do as much as you can, but be careful. And don’t overdo.” Those were the words of advice bouncing around in my head during the long drive home from one of my first ALS clinic appointments. I’d brought…
Last week, I received an email from a newly diagnosed ALS patient asking questions about rollators (walkers with wheels). “I think it’s time I begin using one,” he wrote, “but I don’t want to. What can…
My introduction to ALS followed the same path as many other patients. After months of worry, I was relieved to finally receive a diagnosis. But that was the tip of the iceberg. I then had to understand…
One of my duties as a moderator for the ALS News Today Forums is to encourage new members to discuss their worries about living with the disease. I often find myself repeating the same advice over and…
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