More Time to Love

One father’s extraordinary journal of living longer with ALS

by Joseph L. Wions

When given a diagnosis of ALS, most victims struggle to make peace with a 2-3 year death sentence. Joe Wions, an energetic businessman who loved his work, his family, and his community, instead made the decision to live.

Joe takes his readers on a journey from nightmares to miracles. Abandoned by Western medicine, he sets out on a quest for alternatives and discovers some surprisingly effective therapies. Determined to find a cure, Joe endures harrowing moments of decline, but eventually stumbles upon the keys that unlock healing in both his body and his mind. Insights and stories from his companions round out this detailed (and often humorous) personal account of Joe’s heroic struggle—between helplessness and power, the physical and the philosophical, personal choice and the punishing reality of ALS.

288 pages (English)icon-amazonicon-indie
ISBN:978-0962283468
6×9″ $21.50
Uplift Press (2016) pages

Press & Publications:

“…An antidote against the total frustration, loneliness, and meaninglessness one feels when lost in this disease. If you are seeking a guide to help cope with ALS, this book is a great, hands on tool.”Dr. Wolf-Dieter Kessler, M.D. PhD

More Reviews:

“‘More Time to Love’ by Joe Wions offers hope, inspiration and wisdom for people living with ALS. This is the story of a man who, in facing the unthinkable, discovered the truth that ALS may be a portal for deep personal healing. Joe discovered the power of the mind/body connection as he faced ALS with an intention to live in a healing way, and shows the wisdom of this lifestyle beyond any physical benefits.”Craig Oster, PhD, 20+-year survivor of ALS & Co-founder/Scientist/Advocate at THE HEALERS campaign, www.HealingWithDrCraig.com

“Joe’s family didn’t just survive the nightmare of ALS. They rejected feelings of hopelessness and embraced healing, blessings, gratitude, and the miracle of loving more deeply. I kept the tissues nearby while reading this remarkable book. Through Joe’s deepest thoughts, we can truly understand his powerful commitment to living.”Louise Hart, EdD, author of The Winning Family

“Not only does it provide helpful information to an ALS patient and his or her family, but it also makes those not suffering this cruel disease look at our own lives differently. Joe remained focused on loving his family and appreciating his friends throughout his struggles with ALS. With the idea that your mind has a lot of control over your body, Joe reminds us to see the good in things and not allow the bad to take over life. The book has so many wonderful messages…
I plan to carry this notion through every day stresses and will think of Joe fondly as an inspiration to keep my body and mind happy and healthy.”Amy Buckelew

“I have a confession to make. I finished reading this book a while ago. I was stunned into silence, unable to approach writing the review. The book has haunted me since.
This is a must-read book for anyone who has a family member or friend diagnosed with ALS. In addition to his incredible personal story, Wions offers an appendix of advice and resources on the services and equipment needed by a person who has ALS. I also highly recommend it for anyone who is facing any physical or emotional challenge. And who isn’t?”Pat Luboff

“This book takes you through the journey of a man’s diagnosis of ALS and subsequent battle to thwart the disease. It spans the scale of emotions with levity and humor to carry through the sadness and pain that is scattered throughout. However unyielding the disease is, the author Joe is even more determined to find a cure and rid himself of the disease. Throughout this journey you get to know this incredible individual and the loving family and support network he had around him. You see the relentless efforts of Joe to stay positive, and affirmed that a cure is not possible, but inevitable. You see the incredible curative power of “intention” and how much your own attitude can truly impact your health. If you need some inspiration, this is the read for you.”Sandhya B, Amazon Reviewer

“This is a story of strength, hope, and love. It is Joe Wions’ final gift to his family, friends, and to you, the reader. While this is the story of Joe’s battle with ALS, it is also a guide of what others can do when faced with adversity – medical or otherwise. Joe’s positive attitude and willingness to try alternative ways of healing can be applied to our own struggles, whatever they may be. It is a book for those in ill health and for their caregivers, friends, and families, as well as a book for anyone looking to gain a more positive outlook on life.”Cleomissy, Amazon Reviewer

“In this extraordinary story of one man’s journey along with his family and friends, through the challenges of ALS, one finds not only hope and inspiration, but also practical tips on how to handle this diagnosis and how to deal with all kinds of issues when one is given a terminal diagnosis. While some of the alternative treatments may seem extreme, the underlying fierceness of Joe’s determination to live life as fully and largely as he can, no matter what is happening to him physically, results in a compelling and amazing story.”Hilary C, Amazon Reviewer

“More Time to Love is not only a story about a father coming to terms with a devastating diagnosis of ALS. It is much more than that. This book finds courage and strength within oneself. Strength that you never knew you had until a life changing event enters your life. It’s about choosing positivity over negativity. But, most of all, it’s about LOVE. I think this book would be a great read for grief management support groups, church and senior center book clubs as well as anyone facing a serious life struggle. Joe and his loving family are truly inspirational. Please give this book a try. You will love it and learn so much”Josephine Ferraro, Amazon Reviewer

“As a physician who deals with death and dying, I appreciate this personal narrative of a patient who self-advocates. ‘Heroic’ is too narrow a term to describe his marvelous adaptation to the difficult reality we all can face at one time or another when our bodies have a different plan. His stories about working with Hospice are a testament to the organization at its best, and his experiences of working with caregivers are moving and will be valuable to readers facing in-home care.”Jan Mary Baumgardner, Amazon Reviewer

“Joe Wions and his family, Diane, Dan and Julie are a tribute to lives well lived. Their love for each other, and the bravery of Joe as he battled ALS, is a story worth reading. Certainly people with ALS will learn a lot and get excellent advice. But all who read it will benefit from this story of love.”Judith Lewis, Amazon Reviewer

More Time to Love: One Father’s Extraordinary Journal of Living Longer with ALS by Joseph L. Wions will be available in bookstores and via Expresso in January 2017. This beautiful book gives readers a look at alternative medicine they’ve never seen before, through the eyes of a powerful man who fights ALS to win.

The book has been called, “honest and heartwarming,” “a wonderful legacy,” “a great, hands on tool” that “offers hope, inspiration and wisdom for people living with ALS,” and “an emotional read” that “makes those not suffering this cruel disease look at our own lives differently.” Foreword by Kristen Caven.

Learn more at www.moretimetolove.com

About Joseph L. Wions

1cropeditJoe Wions was born and raised in New Jersey, where he resided with his wife, Diane, son, Dan, daughter Julie, and his health aide, Jimmy until 2011. He was a graduate of Rutgers University, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in social history and a Master of Education degree, with a primary focus in counseling psychology. During the early part of his career, Joe put his education to use in the fields of management training and organization development. Over a fourteen year span, he sharpened his skills while under the employment of Johnson and Johnson, American Hoechst Corporation, and Merck & Company, Inc. He then put his extensive experience in executive coaching, team development, change and transition management, and management and leadership training to work as an organizational development consultant. In 1992, Joe joined forces with Howard Guttman, and helped to build Guttman Development Strategies, Inc. (GDS) into one of the top management consulting firms in the country. Over his twelve years with GDS, Joe consulted with numerous fortune 500 corporations and non-profit organizations in the United States and internationally. He spoke on a wide variety of topics, including: leadership, conflict management, team building, listening and assertion, performance management, development of management curricula, and earning management support.

In 2003, after three years of struggling with a growing weakness in his right leg, Joe was conclusively diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease). By the fall of that same year, he was forced to bring his consulting career to a premature end in order to address his health issues. Refusing to accept the inevitability of what is typically viewed as a medical death sentence, Joe turned his formidable coaching skills on himself, infused himself with a positive outlook, and set out to explore healing options outside of the traditional medical paradigm. After six years of determined experimentation, and almost 12 years of living with ALS, Joe achieved a halting of many symptoms of the disease, and showed a significant increase in lung capacity over the course of several years… a feat that is said to have been impossible.