tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56140532236035604752024-03-13T09:03:01.529-04:00 2 Live FreelyHow to Live Free in an Increasingly Unfree World<br>Practical Philosophies, Tips, Ideas and Actions for a Freer, Happier and More Fulfilling LifeEd Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.comBlogger870125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-91541041819182893652022-05-01T22:00:00.000-04:002022-05-01T22:00:31.286-04:00 New Beginnings<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Introducing: The NEW 2 Live Freely
E-Newsletter/Blog</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Continuing the tradition of the 2 Live
Freely blog since 2008</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXOp0gQI4NCQUeKxO5RzZ4Xh6FDBkcRh9x478NhUUyaIdFAjECGtHi97nwC6jbYg_raD1T1tElX-evz_k4aAvIFaDWzz_qTipdiS7fvLulOYTBUVQihnQeqNLPysYfV_D_lQ72Sgw17VzdzkwT8YrwK8GtByx2V2b0qlCV7u7ficB_rchz0yA76ef/s1224/IMG_20190425_105610.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1150" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXOp0gQI4NCQUeKxO5RzZ4Xh6FDBkcRh9x478NhUUyaIdFAjECGtHi97nwC6jbYg_raD1T1tElX-evz_k4aAvIFaDWzz_qTipdiS7fvLulOYTBUVQihnQeqNLPysYfV_D_lQ72Sgw17VzdzkwT8YrwK8GtByx2V2b0qlCV7u7ficB_rchz0yA76ef/w188-h194/IMG_20190425_105610.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed Helvey</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello Everyone and welcome to the
Introductory issue of the 2 Live Freely blog/e-newsletter. Today is
May 1, 2022 and I've titled this inaugural article – <b>New
Beginnings!</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You may be a subscriber to the 2 Live
Freely Blog I've been writing and posting in for 14 years. You may be
on my email list and have never read any of my nearly 1,000 blog
posts. Or, maybe you just came across this newsletter/blog through
some browsing around the web. Regardless, I hope you will give it a
try, like it and stay tuned in.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First, I plan to cover a lot of ideas,
tips, philosophies and other topics that are important to the topic
of living free and being happy. That's been my mantra for the past
decade or more. I haven't been writing a lot during the past three
years or so due to . . .</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Second, writer's block having set in.
That is a terrible thing for anyone who likes to express himself or
herself in writing to deal with. I was stricken with what was
diagnosed as a terminal case of one of the deadliest forms of cancer
almost three years ago. I started writing somewhat prolifically
during the treatment process I was going through. But, that was
mostly reporting on what I was experiencing during that period. I
finally fell away from that topic. But, thankfully, I obviously
survived due to a number of miracles and the marvels of the modern
medical arts and science.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Third, I have no intention of telling
you how you should change your life to realize and gain the personal
freedom and happiness that you are, apparently, seeking if you're
drawn to and will be reading my upcoming articles. It's not my
objective or intention to tell you what to do. What I will be doing
is sharing ideas, tips and philosophies from my own research and
experiences. Will they all work for you? I don't know. That will be
for you to determine IF you choose to try any of them. However, I
would really like to have you tell me what's going on in your life so
I can learn more from you. I'd even like to share your experiences,
tips, ideas and philosophies with me and the other readers. I may
invite you to be a guest on this blog and on the podcast that I'm
planning to accompany it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will be sharing who I am. You may
think it's about my ego and blowing my own horn. But, frankly, I'm
just another of the nearly eight billion humans currently inhabiting
this particle of “space dust,” also known as the third rock from
the sun. I came from nowhere and when I leave this planet, I'll be
going to I know not where. As a young thinking, 77 year old, two time
cancer survivor, I've had an opportunity over the past couple of
years, as I went through very aggressive treatment and surgery, to
look back at my lifetime. Most of us don't realize all we've
experienced, achieved and overcome to become the people we are today.
Of course, you may be in, what I call, the third-half of your life.
Or, you may be in the middle of your life journey. Or, you may be in
the beginning phase of this thing we call life. Whichever the case,
it's my hope and intention to share who I am today and the path that
brought me here, including the ups and the downs. Life is full of
them.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, in the next few episodes of this
blog or podcast, however you decide to consume it, you'll learn about
my biographical history. The good, the bad, and possibly some of the
ugly. From this, you'll have a basis to build your thoughts about
what you may be able to learn from me and the “wisdom” of my age.
If anything fits, you may try it on. If it seems like it doesn't work
for you, then you can pass. However, I would urge you to take the
time to reminisce about your own life, from the beginning to the
current time, regardless of your current age. Everyone is unique.
And, I hope as this blog/podcast progresses you'll be willing to
share some of your insights.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Additionally, I launched a Facebook
group a few years ago called the <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/529862534030273"><b>Living Free Project</b></a></i>. Perhaps
you're already a member of the group. If not, I'd make the suggestion
you join it. It's a place to share ideas, ask questions, learn about
how others are seeking and enjoying various facets of personal
freedom and happiness. It's only been sporadically active over the
past couple of years. I think it's time for it to become a voice for
everyone and anyone who feels they are missing out on much of what
life offers each of us.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And, finally, while I was recently
viewing a YouTube video by a mid-50 year old, single, full-time,
woman RVer, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/CarolynsRVLife"><b>Carolyn's
RV Life</b></a>, I heard a piece of music that really spoke to me. It was
in the middle of her nearly 30 minute program and it was simply the
music with beautiful nature scenes as she gets to enjoy them through
her freedom loving, nomadic lifestyle. The song is titled “Supposed
To.” I found her source for the song and I'm including the link.
I'm planning to license the song as part of this 2 Live Freely site.
I believe it will relate to most of us. It's an interesting statement
on our society. Of course, it doesn't relate to everyone. I've had
some friends who believe it's only about regrets. I know it sure
grabbed me. I've virtually always pushed the envelope throughout my
life. And, yet, as I listened to it, I realized just how conditioned
I was to do what I was supposed to. So, here is the link: <span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: times new roman, serif;"><a href="https://artlist.io/song/10013/-supposed-to"><b>Supposed To</b></a></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'll be interested in your take on the
song. How does it impact you and your thinking about your own life?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That's all for this New Beginning
article. Watch for the podcast version if you'd prefer to listen,
I'll have the link here on this site. And, if you're not a
subscriber, I hope you'll take the initiative to click on the
subscribe button and be a regular reader/listener. And, I'd really
appreciate it if you'd help me grow this 2 Live Freely blog and
podcast by sharing it with your friends. Over the years this site has
been read in over 100 countries and I'm hoping to gain that kind of
readership again.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Live free and be happy, EH</span></p>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com15498+98 Two Strike, SD, USA43.1684026 -100.884225219.126052027208942 -136.0404752 67.210753172791058 -65.7279752tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-19102118253139702552022-02-07T14:54:00.002-05:002022-02-07T14:57:53.718-05:00 Keep The Faith<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This post is going to be a little
different than my typical articles. A few days ago a friend of mine
sent me an email with a video attached to it. It was titled Keep The
Faith. I personally don't recognize the man telling the story. If
someone does, I'd appreciate you filling me in and letting me know.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story moved me. I took me back to a
time when I was in my mid 20s and had completed four years of college
and a bachelors degree and an additional year of graduate school and
had earned a masters degree. I was a young business man and I was
going through another life change as I entered the service to our
country to serve in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War Era.
So, while the presenter of this story is, obviously, younger than me,
which you'll pick up on as he relates the story, I relate to what he
is saying because I had experienced the attitudes that he relates.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There's not much else to say because I
don't want to steal the presenter's thunder. But, those of you of a
certain age (mostly from the Greatest Generation, the Silent
Generation, the Baby Boomer Generation and the very early Generation
X) will be able to relate to this. You will likely remember when this
was pretty much the overall attitude in the U.S. regardless of what
part of the country you were from. For those of you who are younger
than the group I just described, this is the way our country once
was. It certainly wasn't perfect. But, it was a lot better, in my
mind, than much of what we're witnessing and experiencing in all
sectors of our society.<br><span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2022/02/keep-faith.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-11167124160113164892022-01-26T17:36:00.001-05:002022-01-26T17:36:28.415-05:00 I've Been Deported<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
was deported on Monday afternoon.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yep!
That's the way the very professional and efficient yet, cute and fun
nurses (and not young teenybopper women, either) at the Winchester
Medical Center add a little political humor into the procedure of
removing my chemo infusion chest port. They said I was being "deported."</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
was a short procedure and they put me out under a very light
anesthesia. I was, more or less, awake again before they moved me out
of the procedure room back to the prep/recovery room. They kept me in
recovery for about another hour or so.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">For
those readers who have had an infusion port installed in your chest
for chemotherapy treatments for cancer, you know what this port is
and what it's all about. It makes the patient's life much easier
because the nurses and technicians don't have to keep looking for a
good vein in your hand or arm to infuse the toxic chemotherapy drugs
into your circulatory system. After a while, it frequently gets hard
for them to locate a good vein. It can become quite painful for many
patients. But, the port is surgically (a minor procedure) installed
in the patient's chest. Once installed, it produces a small lump in the chest wall. When the port is not being utilized, it must be flushed every six to eight weeks with a saline solution that must be done by a nurse. So, if it's no longer in use, it does become an inconvenience. However, the oncologists like to keep them installed, typically, for a couple of years just in case there is a recurrence and they need to go through another course of chemotherapy. Mine was in nearly 2 1/2 years.<span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is what the little port device looks like.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2022/01/ive-been-deported.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-63246028964392953722022-01-23T20:42:00.000-05:002022-01-23T20:42:37.544-05:00 If It Is To Be It Is Up To Me!<p><span style="font-size: medium;">If you've never heard of this short
sentence made up entirely of two letter words, it's time you did.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the past few weeks I've been
talking about “New Beginnings” and how I'm going through this
challenging phase of my life. Everyone either has, is or will go
through some very difficult times. Unfortunately, some of these
events and experiences are going to be traumatic.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Someone once asked Dr. Norman Vincent
Peale, the author of <i>The Power of Positive Thinking,</i>
if there were any people who didn't face problems. He said, and I
paraphrase, he knew of a place where there were a lot of people who
didn't have problems. Let me take you there. So, the person went with
Dr. Peale who led him to a cemetery. The person at first was stunned
and then thought he was making fun of him. Dr. Peale assured him he
was serious, none of the people in that cemetery or any other
cemetery had any problems. The only people who have no problems
reside in graves. So, if you don't want to join these people, you
better get down on your knees and pray for God to give you problems.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
start having problems when we are small children. Our parents help us
learn to cope with and solve our small problems. As we get older the
problems get more difficult. And, of course, when we become adults,
we have to deal with problems and situations that often seem
insurmountable. Everybody has problems of one kind or another. I
won't bore you with a list of the many kinds of problems we all face
during our lifetimes. It's also said that God, or the Universe or
life won't give you any problems that you can't handle. That doesn't
mean they will be easy. It just means it's up to us to resolve the
problems.<span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2022/01/if-it-is-to-be-it-is-up-to-me.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-79570994777210552912022-01-16T21:07:00.003-05:002022-01-16T21:15:25.049-05:00 New Beginnings – 2022 – Part 3<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Three weeks and three new articles. I'm
patting myself on the back! I hope I'm back on line again.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is going to be a short article
today. Winter has set in here in the area of West Virginia known as
the Potomac Highlands. It's where I've been staying with a friend
while I've been recovering from my bout with cancer. I'm very lucky
to have terrific and very supportive friends in various places and,
certainly, my friend Carolyn has gone way above the call to help me.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's snowing quite hard here today and
into about midday tomorrow. It's quite cold with the current
temperature registering at 16 degrees and an estimated accumulation
of snow between 9” to 12” and possibly as much as 18.” I grew
up in northern New Jersey and we had some cold temperatures and
significant snow accumulations there when I was a kid. And, then I
lived in Syracuse, NY and I have to be honest, snow, lots and lots of
snow was a way of life along with sub-0 temperatures. We had some
serious winters when I lived in the Washington, DC area and for the
ten years I lived in Annapolis, MD. About every five years or so, we
would have a very serious winter in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
when I lived outside Winchester. But, while some of my friends look
forward to winter and snow, I have experienced probably about 30
blizzards during my life and frankly, I'd much rather see the snow
from a distance along with the cold temperatures. I'm perfectly
content to watch snow in TV shows or in movies. I don't need to
experience it in person any longer.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Part of my New Beginnings is to start
researching and searching for a new region to base my operations from
and I'd like it to be a location with a moderate or temperate
climate. So, I've been looking at places around the U.S. during the
last several years I was traveling, prior to being inconveniently
stopped from my travels by my cancer challenge. But, I'll be looking
again for the right place once I can get back on the road.<span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2022/01/new-beginnings-2022-part-3.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-16146597838828494502022-01-10T17:52:00.001-05:002022-01-10T17:52:37.713-05:00 New Beginnings – 2022 – Part 2<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is my second article of 2022 and
you'll notice it has the same title as the first article, except I
extended it as Part 2. I've been thinking, researching and
contemplating this entire past week about what I said last week.
Something sparked in my mind and heart about my thoughts and
feelings. But, to start things off, let me give you a long quote I
discovered during my research.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">When
someone you love dies, you are given the gift of "second
chances". Their eulogy is a reminder that the living can turn
their lives around at any point. You’re not bound by the past; that
is who you used to be. You’re reminded that your feelings are not
who you are, but how you felt at that moment. Your bad choices
defined you yesterday, but they are not who you are today. Your
future doesn’t have to travel the same path with the same people.
You can start over. You don’t have to apologize to people that
won’t listen. You don’t have to justify your feelings or actions,
during a difficult time in your life. You don’t have to put up with
people that are insecure and want you to fail. All you have to do is
walk forward with a positive outlook, and trust that God has a plan
that is greater than the sorrow you left behind. The people of
quality that were meant to be in your life won’t need you to
explain the beauty of your heart. They already understand what being
human is----a roller coaster ride of emotions during rainstorms and
sunshine, sprinkled with moments when you can almost reach the
stars.</span></i></p><p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #181818;">―
</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span face="Lato, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span><b>Shannon
L. Alder</b></span></span></span>
</p>
<p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Substitute
the first and second sentence with, <i>When you die and are reborn,
you are given the gift of new beginnings. Your eulogy is a reminder
that the living (you in your rebirth), can turn your life around at
any point</i>. With those two changed sentences, this quote is
exactly what I'm feeling as I leave the past behind after being
stricken down by my cancer experience and the ensuing battle. I don't
know if I can describe what happened the morning of August 18, 2019
as having experienced death and coming back. I know there is a short
period of time that I have no recollection of. I don't know if it was
seconds or minutes. I don't recall seeing my life pass before me. I
don't recall seeing a long tunnel with a white light at the end. I
just don't remember anything for that brief period of time. And, of
course, I was completely disoriented when I regained consciousness or
grasped life again, whichever the case may have been.</span></p>
<p align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
I do know is that a lot of things changed. To be perfectly honest, if
friends, family, business associates or new people see me today, the
only thing they will likely notice is that I'm slimmer because I lost
about 20% of my weight (and, unfortunately, muscle mass). Otherwise,
externally, there is little about the changes I described in the
previous article that one can see. The voice I've used to speak and
to provide voice-overs for numerous clients is still the same. I
still have the knowledge, creativity, any talent I may have been
blessed with and the skills I've learned and honed through over 60
years of adolescent and adult experiences. For all practical intents
and purposes, externally and experientially, I'm still me. But, as I
described, there is a new persona residing inside this older and,
now, somewhat modified body.<span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2022/01/new-beginnings-2022-part-2.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-58248719134339896552022-01-02T20:15:00.009-05:002022-01-03T14:04:07.140-05:00New Beginnings – 2022<p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm writing this on January 1, 2022. As
you can see, if you look at my last blog article, this is my first
new article in a year. The year 2021 was very similar to 2020. They
were both years that weren't. I mean, for me, they weren't
noteworthy. Many things happened during 2021, but from my
perspective, they were mainly negative things. But, I really don't
want to focus and dwell on the negative. A few years ago, after
writing this blog for about ten years, I began facing writers block.
My articles became fewer and far between. I picked up again for a
short time in 2019 when I was stricken down with my battle with
cancer and I wrote almost daily for a few months about my
experiences.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let me be clear, I'm 76 years old. I'll
be 77 years old in a few months. I try to not dwell on my age,
however, due to many things that have occurred over the past couple
of years, most notably, my battle and, so far, my victory over a near
fatal bout with a pretty rare form of cancer, I have begun to accept
my aging reality. You may have heard older people express the aging
process as experiencing all kinds of aches, pains, physical changes,
lower levels of energy and stamina. But, at the same time, they say
their minds are acting like they are still in their 30s or 40s. I can
relate to that.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, some of us are dealt a variety
of challenges. Some of those challenges result with life ending.
During the past couple of years I've lost at least 12 friends from
various facets of my life. Some of these friends were considerably
older than me. Some were around my age. Still others were younger
than me. Meanwhile, some of us survive after being dealt strokes,
heart attacks, hip, knee and other joint replacements. Others have to
deal with issues like diabetes, MS, Lupis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's
and other chronic and autoimmune diseases. And, some, like me, must
face the “Big C,” cancers of all kinds. I'm actually a two time
cancer survivor, but I'm still going. In many cases, probably most
cases, these medical issues are surprises. They blind-side us and,
like it or not, we must deal with them.<span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2022/01/new-beginnings-2022.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-47464387811941773812021-01-13T22:15:00.003-05:002021-01-13T22:15:46.524-05:00A PUBLIC LYNCHING<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I
just posted the following article on Facebook today, January 13,
2021. It's one week after the U.S. Capitol was stormed by a bunch of
organized, trained thugs, extremists and domestic terrorists
supposedly incited by the outgoing President Donald Trump. NOT! These
people acted on their own volition and need to be held accountable
for their actions. Trump did not lead them. He did not tell them to
storm the Capitol. He did not instruct or command them to break in,
cause damage, steal anything or intimidate or attack any people. He
simply indicated they should march down to the Capitol where the
vice-president was counting and confirming the electoral college
ballots with the House of Representatives and the Senate for the next
president of the United States.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
was working on something else and the TV was on in the other room and
I was listening to the proceedings going on in the House of
Representatives to impeach President Trump for the second time when
he only has seven days left in office. I got very sick listening to
these people as you'll read below. I couldn't hold back. I had to
shut the puke coming out of these people's mouths out of my mind. So,
I turned off the TV and sat down and wrote this article for Facebook.
Perhaps you've already read it there. I have no plans to follow up on
it, but I'm expecting to be brutally attacked by a large number of
people. And, I fully expect that these cretins in Washington, DC are
going to succeed in destroying many lifelong friendships. I don't
plan to end any friendships. However, if others decide to end our
friendships, that will be by their choice, not mine. And, obviously,
I guess politics is more important than friendship in those cases.
So, here's what I said on Facebook.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"> ***********</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">This
is a one-time post from me on this subject! I'll probably be banned
from Facebook - and so be it! And, it will be just one more knife in
the back of freedom of speech in this country!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>I
NEVER thought I'd be witness to a public lynching. I just had to turn
off the live news feed of the biggest lynch mob I've ever heard of.
It's called the United States Congress. I now know that in order to
become a "so-called" elected representative of the people
of this country you have to have an IQ that exceeds 12 but does not
surpass 50. I had to turn it off because I was literally about to
vomit my guts out listening to these imbeciles.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>People
are suffering and dying of Covid-19. Our military men and women are
spread all over the world, millions have died over the years (and I'm
a veteran myself) - supposedly defending our freedom and Constitution
- and meanwhile - the people in the (supposedly) People's House are
defiling that Constitution and tearing it apart. And, there are
dozens, if not hundreds of real-world, important issues for the US
citizens that should be the real business of the Congress. They have
ignored most of them for the past four years because they were too
busy trying to lynch the president - and have continuously failed.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-public-lynching.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-77808888061905813332021-01-03T20:39:00.002-05:002021-01-03T20:39:41.791-05:00Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude – Welcome 2021<p> <span style="font-size: large;">The
year 2020 will surely go down in our personal history books as the
year that wasn't. Wasn't what? Wasn't a good year for most of the
world. Sure, the rich got richer and the poor got poorer for the most
part. But, that seems to be the trend and has been for the last
several years. But, don't worry. This is not going to be a political
statement. It's simply a commentary on how I view it.</span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Today
is, in fact, another anniversary for me. One year ago today I spent
the entire day on an operating table at the Winchester (VA) Medical
Center having half of my stomach and three-quarters of my esophagus
removed. The surgery was the third and final course of treatment for
the cancer fireball that struck me down on August 18, 2019.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>I
found out some time after the first two courses of treatment,
chemotherapy and radiation, that my survival prospects were quite a
bit less than optimal. As a matter of fact, just a couple weeks
before I had the surgery I asked my surgeon point-blank, what my
survival chances were if I opted out of having the surgery. He
replied, just as point-blank. NONE!</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>So,
here I am, one year later, a very different person physically,
psychologically and emotionally. The dream team of cancer specialists
who worked on me destroyed the cancer and removed all the damage it
had done to my body. I am, as of the latest round of CT scans one
month ago, cancer-free.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those
of you who have followed my progress since I was stricken, know I've
been through quite a course of treatment. And, I'm still recovering
from the ordeal. But, believe me, despite how bad the overall year of
2020 was for me, with respect to my medical crisis, I am one happy
camper (no pun intended) to be writing this article today.<span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2021/01/your-attitude-determines-your-altitude.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-43508361495648241582020-11-29T20:35:00.001-05:002020-11-29T20:35:47.245-05:00The Future Is Upon Us!<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Let
no day end before you have spoken words of love, friendship and
thanks.</i> A quote from that prolific philosopher – Anonymous</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">This
quotation is on my perpetual calendar for today's date. The calendar
was a gift from my long-time, dear friend, Barbara Glanz. Barbara is known for “Spreading Contagious Enthusiasm” - which,
coincidentally, is the title of her calendar.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">And
the photo for November in my 2020 Nelson Marlborough (New Zealand)
calendar from another of my long-time, dear friends, Brian Morris, is
a photo of a beautiful marina in Picton Harbour, Queen Charlotte
Sound, in Picton, New Zealand. Picton is where my “brother from
another mother,” (as I describe him) Brian lives. If things were
different and better than the current world conditions and my medical
condition, I'd be preparing to depart for a long-anticipated trip to
New Zealand in about two weeks. Sadly, that trip has had to be moved
to the back-burner until some unknown date in the future.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span>So,
it's Sunday, November 29, 2020. It's three and a half months since my
last post on the blog. Actually, the last post was on the one-year
anniversary of me being stricken by the near-fatal case of
gastric-esophageal cancer. Last year, around this time, I had been
very prolific actually posting what could be considered a diary of my
experiences during my diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiation
treatments and then some of the recovery period leading up to my
surgery on January 3, 2020. Since that time I've only posted a few
times and each time I indicated that I was going to begin writing
regular articles for the blog, again. Obviously, I haven't kept that
promise to myself or you. </span>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">So,
before I go any further, let me say thank you for your readership and
interest, I appreciate your friendship (even though I have never met
most of the readers of my writings) and I love you for who you are
and for indulging me through my writing. So, that fulfills the
commendation of today's quotation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
Future Is Upon Us!</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">The last 16 months of my life, without any hesitation, has been, for want
of a better description, flat out horrible. I have experienced:<span></span></span></span></p><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-future-is-upon-us.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-46107792905039222672020-08-18T17:10:00.000-04:002020-08-18T17:11:55.789-04:00Happy Anniversary . . . to ME!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="color: #111111; font-size: 15pt;">Anniversaries
are like birthdays: occasions to celebrate and to think ahead,
usually among friends with whom one shares not only the past but also
the future. </i><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 15pt;"> Zbigniew Brzezinski</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZzKiohWg2s/Xzwbmsb3xkI/AAAAAAAAL3I/G3QmuZE0fgMTTTJpxxV0UFMax6t2sE17wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/EH%2BGoodwill%2BAmbassador%2B-%2B3-20-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZzKiohWg2s/Xzwbmsb3xkI/AAAAAAAAL3I/G3QmuZE0fgMTTTJpxxV0UFMax6t2sE17wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/EH%2BGoodwill%2BAmbassador%2B-%2B3-20-2020.jpg" width="240"></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today
is the one year anniversary of the beginning of a new life for me. On
August 18, 2019, a Sunday morning, without any warning, a fireball of
cancer came out of the universe and struck me down. There were no
serious symptoms or anything that would have given me an inkling of
what was to befall me and how my life would be forever changed. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
was having a normal morning. I was a bit fatigued, but that was about
all. I took care of my normal, very regular routine “business.”
Everything was fine. I then went for a morning walk, another part of
my daily routine. I believe I got about a mile and a half in. But,
when I returned to my friend's, Carolyn's, house, I felt pretty wiped
out. That wasn't normal. But, I still had no idea there was anything
seriously wrong. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well,
within an hour or so, I was unconscious, on the floor. The first time
I had any recollection of what had happened was when I started to
regain consciousness and I was on my bed. I have no idea of any
details of my collapse or the actual amount of time. It might have
been seconds or minutes. I'd never experienced anything like this
before in my 74+ years of life. Carolyn and her grandson were
hovering over me trying to help me regain consciousness and
comprehend what was happening. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chris,
Carolyn's grandson, a professional EMT who just happened to be
visiting his grandmother that weekend, had either seen me collapse or
found me in a pile on the floor. He managed to get me back on my bed
that I had fallen next to or at the foot of. Carolyn was checking my
blood pressure and heart rate – which, according to clinical
standards put me in the category of being dead, which is what I
probably would have been if Chris hadn't found me and called for
Carolyn. Carolyn started putting glucose under my tongue to get my
blood sugar up. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chris
called the local EMT's who arrived within minutes along with a medic
shortly thereafter. Once they assessed the situation and got me
stabilized, they moved me to a gurney, out the door and into the
waiting ambulance. A short, but rapid trip (maybe five minutes) with
the lights flashing and siren wailing and I was being rolled into the
Emergency Room of the local, small, West Virginia University-affiliated hospital. (<a href="https://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2020/08/happy-anniversary-to-me.html" target="_blank">Continue reading the rest of the article on the blog.</a>)</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2020/08/happy-anniversary-to-me.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-82006488720961260152020-07-02T17:43:00.001-04:002020-07-02T17:51:09.372-04:00When Is Enough . . . Enough?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">DISCLAIMER:
DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING IF YOU WANT TO OBJECT TO MY POLITICALLY
INCORRECT VIEWS AND OPINIONS AND MAKES COMMENTS. I DON'T WANT YOU TO COMMENT EVEN IF YOU AGREE WITH MY VIEWS AND OPINIONS, EITHER. THIS IS <u><b>MY</b></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
FORUM. I WILL DELETE ANY AND ALL COMMENTS AT MY DISCRETION. IF YOU
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, POST IT ON YOUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, BLOG OR SEND IT TO
ME IN AN EMAIL. I'LL READ IT THERE. BE SURE TO NOTIFY ME. I AM
EXPRESSING MY FEELINGS, VIEWS AND OPINIONS BASED ON MY FIRST
AMENDMENT RIGHTS – UNTIL I AM TAKEN AWAY IN HANDCUFFS AND LEG IRONS
AND THROWN INTO SOME GULAG FOR NOT BOWING TO THE RADICAL EVENTS GOING
ON IN OUR COUNTRY CURRENTLY!!!</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm
sending you a link to a statement presented in (what I believe to be)
a rational, articulate, not emotionally <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">charged</span>,
thoughtful manner by someone who genuinely sounds concerned about the country he loves and has served on two levels of public service. Here
is the link:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/newsbusters/videos/1191577801203867">https://www.facebook.com/newsbusters/videos/1191577801203867</a>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
don't usually circulate things of this nature. I sent one to a few
people the other day that was emotionally charged because it moved
me. I'm sending this one because it not only moved me, but because
I've been asking the same questions this man addresses. I tend to
identify more as a conservative, but a moderate conservative. I'm far
from a radical or extreme conservative.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>When
is enough... enough?</b> This is no longer a peaceful protest. It has
spread to over 650 US cities. Billions of dollars of destruction and
looted merchandise, businesses have been lost, personal property
destroyed, innocent people seriously injured and already there are
deaths of innocent people as well as perpetrators of this “civil
war.” Public property and infrastructure owned by ALL the citizens
have been destroyed or occupied. Fortresses/strongholds have been
created in the city streets of several cities (and if this keeps on,
I expect there to be more situations like this across the country).
This has been going on for five weeks at the time of this writing. To my knowledge, it's the
longest and most widespread, prolonged event of its kind in the
history of the United States. This is no longer a peaceful protest to
affect change in the justice system. Sadly, I say this has become a
civil war backed by people, frankly, who I believe don't give a damn
about African-Americans or anyone else other than their own
self-serving interests and agendas.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2020/07/when-is-enough-enough.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-85170880602781233792020-05-06T16:23:00.000-04:002020-05-06T16:23:39.412-04:00New Lease on Life . . .<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYbfoR31jQU/XrMZ-WTLwbI/AAAAAAAALFE/DzWaFvFnj0opk1YYSga3p_baL_cQfeRDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/EH%2BGoodwill%2BAmbassador%2B-%2B3-20-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYbfoR31jQU/XrMZ-WTLwbI/AAAAAAAALFE/DzWaFvFnj0opk1YYSga3p_baL_cQfeRDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/EH%2BGoodwill%2BAmbassador%2B-%2B3-20-2020.jpg" width="240"></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">First,
let me thank everyone who has been concerned about my cancer issue
and my recovery. Your notes, positive thoughts and prayers have been
so much appreciated and they certainly contributed to me keeping a
positive attitude through this “journey” and maintaining my sense
of humor. This, in no small part, has contributed to my above-average
recovery process.</span></div>
<br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">I
received a comment yesterday from one of you loyal blog readers
asking where in the world I am and how am I doing. The reader said
it's been 5 months since my last post. It's actually 4 1/2 months or
130 days. Add that to the 113 days at my last post and it totals 243
days or exactly 2/3 of a year since the “fireball” struck me on
August 18, 2019.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">So
much has happened since that time. I underwent chemotherapy and
radiation. After a short recovery period, I underwent major surgery
(<i><b>only</b></i> 10 hours in the operating room) on January 3,
2020. That was followed by a total of 12 more days in the hospital
and then five weeks in a rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility. I
got out of rehab on February 21, 2020, and, within just a couple of
weeks the COVID 19 shelter-in-place, stores, gyms, etc. lock-down
went into effect. I've been hunkered down at my friend's house in
north-central WV in a small rural town. She has been fantastic. I've
only been out of this area a few times since then mainly for
follow-up doctor appointments. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">By
the way, the photo of me is very recent. My New Zealand buddy has
made me an official “Goodwill Ambassador.” You'll also note I'm
now wearing a U.S. Air Force veteran cap to share my pride as a
veteran with my comrades. I have a pin to recognize prostate cancer
survivors (of which I'm one). I also have my American flag pin and my
Vietnam Era Veteran pin on the cap. Soon I'll be adding pins to
recognize survivors of stomach and esophageal cancer as well.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2020/05/new-lease-on-life.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-12727803056299586732019-12-22T18:58:00.000-05:002019-12-22T18:58:24.703-05:00GREETINGS OF THE SEASON and Some Other IMPORTANT INFORMATION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks
for visiting my blog page and . . . today is Day #113 of my adventure . . . </span><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Greetings
of the Season!</b>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Merry
Christmas, if that is how you celebrate this season.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And
greetings to you if you celebrate this holiday time of the year in
some other meaningful way.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And,
I also want to wish you a Happy, Healthy and Abundant 2020. I hope
the new year fulfills all your expectations.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now,
I'm going to let you all in on something I've kept pretty much undercover for the past four months. Only a very few folks know about what
I'm going to reveal.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As
you have probably noticed, I have been pretty quiet during this
period. I have not been traveling as I normally would be. I have not
been posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, PM or email.
I did actively post on my blog, but that was about it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
have not made this information public because, frankly, there are so
many other individuals I know who have been experiencing their own
challenges, especially medical challenges. However, in less than two
weeks I'll be undergoing something that I feel extremely confident
I'll pull through without any question in my mind. Unfortunately, it
is very serious and, as we all know, there are no guarantees in life.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/12/greetings-of-season-and-some-other.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-44945611172187167272019-11-22T13:47:00.000-05:002019-11-22T13:47:21.324-05:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Better and Better – November 22, 2019 – Day 83<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I
believe it is in my nature to dance by virtue of the beat of my
heart, the pulse of my blood and the music in my mind.</b></i><span style="font-size: large;"> -
Robert Fulghum</span><br>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">It
is now Day #83. My thought to ponder today is from one of my favorite
authors, Robert Fulghum. There is some powerful vision in his words.
I believe this is or should be true for everyone. Unfortunately, I
believe most people get lost in the stress, complexity and trivia of
day to day life in our 21<sup>st</sup> Century society.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes!
I said I was going to write a day by day journal of my “adventure.”
But, you know the old saying, “the best-laid plans of mice and men
often go awry.” Those words were penned by Robert Burns. Here is the
reality. At this stage of my adventure, there are often days that go
by and nothing of consequence or interest occurs. It is actually
quite tiring for me to have to think up something to say. So, am I
really saying anything of value or just using up words?
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So,
here are some things of note. Nothing much on Days 72 & 73. On
Day 74, November 13<sup>th</sup>, I had three medical appointments.
</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-better.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-61707823618921475612019-11-10T20:43:00.002-05:002019-11-10T20:57:30.757-05:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Yikes! My Own Words – November 10, 2019 – Day 71<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">“</span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>People
have lost their dreams years, even decades, ago. They have lost their
own individuality. They mainly identify with spouses, partners,
family, jobs, social involvements. But, they have sublimated their
own dreams so much they can no longer remember what they were.”</b></i><span style="font-size: large;">
- Ed Helvey</span><br>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You
read that right, that's a quote from me. Here it is, Day 71, Sunday
November 10<sup>th</sup> (the day before Veterans Day) and I received
an email from one of my long-time followers of this blog, Richard
Rosen in Florida. Wow! As I read my own words, they seemed to be
particularly meaningful today. No! Not because I wrote them, but because, as I deal with my cancer adventure, I need them to bolster
myself up.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So,
today, I start off with my own quote. Below, I'm going to list a
number of other quotes from other “dreamers.” The intent? Simple!
To inspire and encourage you to reach for those dreams that have been
gathering dust in the far reaches of your memory.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But,
first, here is a brief update on the past few days, Day 69, Friday
and Day 70, Saturday as well as today. Eating and drinking, while
still a bit challenging, has been pretty good and I've been enjoying
the flavors and textures of the various foods and liquids I've
indulged in over the past three days. I even had pepperoni pizza last
night and polished off the cold leftovers today. I've been enjoying
orange and grapefruit juice, two of the many juices I like.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-yikes.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-5215434876290611422019-11-07T22:48:00.000-05:002019-11-07T22:48:30.688-05:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – What a Difference a Day or Two Make – November 7, 2019 – Day 66<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I
learned to take those experiences that were difficult in my life and
in the adversity that I had overcome to use it for a positive change.</b></i><span style="font-size: large;">
- Dominique Moceanu</span><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So,
today is Day 68 of this “adventure.” It was actually a very good
day. Yesterday, Wednesday and Day 67 was a good day, too, but today
was better. There seems to be a trend going on here.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0ymX7lc9As/XcThUiHkXjI/AAAAAAAAKjo/tiXizj3oi2go2G3GWLP1FuuNv9m8mLOXwCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20191107_173032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="756" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0ymX7lc9As/XcThUiHkXjI/AAAAAAAAKjo/tiXizj3oi2go2G3GWLP1FuuNv9m8mLOXwCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20191107_173032.jpg" width="188"></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Meet
my buddy, Bella. I'm not a cat person, but Bella has adopted me. She
is cross between a feline and a canine. That is, she is a cat, but
she has certain attributes we normally associate with dogs. She will
come in, play “high 5” with me, very gently reach up and touch my
face, nuzzle me to pet her and then she'll curl up and make herself
at home as you see her in this photo. She can be feisty with other
cats and is generally a loner. But, she does bring me some comfort.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now,
let's get back to the “adventure.” Eating improved slightly
yesterday along with drinking. I still dealt with the massive fatigue
and low energy problem. I had about my typical 4 hours of low energy
productivity throughout the day with lots of resting and napping. But, I
actually accomplished a few things.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-what.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-21126651317515898262019-11-05T22:31:00.000-05:002019-11-05T22:31:34.420-05:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Things Are Improving – November 5, 2019 – Day 66<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Adopt
the pace of nature: her secret is patience.</b></i><span style="font-size: large;"> - Ralph Waldo
Emerson</span><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Today
is Day 66, Tuesday. Time just seems to be passing, but as Emerson
suggests patience is the key here. So, four days have passed since my
last article. But, there has been some positive change occurring.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Day
63, Saturday</b>, was basically another day like the other days of
the preceding week. Massive fatigue, no energy and still no ability
to swallow food or liquids. I was continuing to lose weight. I
attempted to be a little productive, but I don't feel like I was.
However, even though I'm dealing with some “brain fog,” probably
caused, at least partially, by not getting enough protein or carbs, I
did come to the realization that I had to find a way to stop this
downward slide.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So,
<b>Day 64, Sunday</b>, I reviewed the comprehensive printed
information I was given and the in-depth conversation I had with the
Cancer Center nutritionist. I decided to make a shopping list of
foods that would work with the exact circumstance I found myself in.
It was a long list and even included a couple things that might be
considered “junk food,” but they were highly caloric and I need
calories.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-things.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-16696539435557198042019-11-01T22:17:00.000-04:002019-11-01T22:18:02.736-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Where Has Time Gone? – November 1, 2019 – Day 62<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>I
am grateful for all the moments that I have, and I'm moving forward
one step at a time to the future.</b></i> - Park Bo-gum</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Seven
days have passed since my last article post here on the blog. Several
people have wondered what happened to me. I'm here. But, at the same
time, I have the feeling I'm not here.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Exactly
a week ago today I had my last radiation and my last chemotherapy
treatment. I had a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. I managed to
get through approximately two months having my innards burned
and having toxic fluids forced through my veins to attack a mass that
had invaded my body and had the potential of ending my life
prematurely. Now, to be honest, that possibility still exists.
However, to this date, I have not received any indication that I have
a “death sentence in the near future. I remain on my 46-year plan.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That
being said, both my radiation and my chemotherapy doctors, who I met
with the Wednesday before my last treatments, warned me that this
period of recovery right after treatments ended, could be worse than
anything I had experienced until then. As much as I hate to admit it,
their prediction was accurate. So, here is a capsule of what has
transpired since last Friday.</span><br>
</div></div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-where.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-21624001901097672142019-10-25T23:23:00.000-04:002019-10-25T23:23:09.272-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – IT IS DONE! – October 25, 2019 – Day 55<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Inspiration
comes from within yourself. One has to be positive. When you're
positive, good things happen.</b></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> - Deep Roy</span><br>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Today
I was there on time and ready for my LAST radiation treatment and my
LAST chemotherapy treatment. Both were routine. When I completed my
radiation treatment I was presented with a Graduation Certificate –
nice touch. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
moved all my stuff to Carolyn's car and we drove back to her place in
West Virginia. I bid Judy goodbye this morning before she had to
leave for a day-long commitment she had. I thanked her for all she
has done to make this experience so much easier for both, Carolyn and
me, by not having to drive about 140 miles round trip over the 7
mountains and 7 valleys five days a week. My McVansion is still
parked in front of Judy's house and she leaves on Sunday to travel to
Alabama to spend some time with her dying sister.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-it-is.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-45989179825636736922019-10-24T21:14:00.000-04:002019-10-24T21:14:48.254-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – ONE More Day – October 24, 2019 – Day 54<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>The
most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be
great in whatever they want to do.</b></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> - Kobe Bryant</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">ONE
MORE DAY!<br />ONE MORE DAY!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">ONE
MORE DAY!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
can't wait for tomorrow afternoon when I'll be through with radiation
and chemotherapy. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Not
much to report! I finally found a deal on a new Lenovo ThinkPad T470
laptop computer and made the deal today. It's being assembled at the
factory and should reach me by next Tuesday or Wednesday. It's time
to retire my very reliable but very slow running and tired Lenovo
ThinkPad T420s. I'll likely put a small SSD drive in it, reinitiate
it and keep it as a backup. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Live
free and be happy. EH</span></div>
</div>
Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-31723326319073086592019-10-23T21:40:00.000-04:002019-10-23T21:40:00.936-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Two More Days – October 23, 2019 – Day 53<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>In
order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive
vision.</b></i><span style="font-size: large;"> - Dalai
Lama</span><br>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Just
TWO MORE DAYS of radiation and one more of chemotherapy. If you've
ever been through this regimen of treatment, you know just how
significant those three words are.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">This
will, again, be a short post. It was actually a very positive, no,
make that a very, extremely positive day today. In addition to having
my radiation treatment, they also did my lab work today, a day
earlier than normal. They did the lab work because I had two doctors'
appointments today. One was with my radiation doctor. The second one
was with my medical oncologist (chemotherapy). They wanted the lab
work for the second appointment.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll
be honest, I'm totally wiped out and have been since I arrived back
at Judy's about 12:15 PM today. So, I'll save all the details of the
two appointments for another day when I have some energy to think and
write. However, I will say this much. Both doctors effectively gave
me A++++ reports. I walked out today feeling very positive.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-two.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-15412038041996381622019-10-22T21:23:00.000-04:002019-10-22T21:23:08.155-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Three More Days – October 22, 2019 – Day 52<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="font-size: 16pt;"><b>Trust
in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.</b></i><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> -
Khalil Gibran</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Today
the post is really short. THREE MORE DAYS!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">That's
about it. I started to let more of the outside world know about
what's happened to me. I'm finally comfortable doing that as I wind
down this really fatiguing protocol of radiation and chemotherapy. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I'm
amazed I can still drive myself over to the cancer center and back to
Judy's. Home plate is in sight and I'm preparing to slide in on
Friday. Not much more to report today other than I actually got a few
things accomplished. Hooray. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Live
free and be happy. EH</span></div>
</div>
Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-43537583886877278572019-10-21T21:37:00.000-04:002019-10-21T21:37:55.603-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Four More Days – October 21, 2019 – Day 51<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Virtually
nothing is impossible in this world if you just put your mind to it
and maintain a positive attitude.</b></i><span style="font-size: large;"> - Lou Holtz</span><br>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Four
more days to go. All I'm focused on now is counting these days down
until Friday, October 25<sup>th</sup> when I will have my last
radiation treatment and my last chemo treatment. Just four more days.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll
be honest. I was not looking forward to driving over the 7 mountains
and through the 7 valleys again this morning to arrive in Winchester
at the cancer center for my 10:15 radiation appointment. And, I
didn't enjoy it. But, thankfully, Carolyn has been maintaining a very
positive and supportive attitude.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We
actually arrived about 20 minutes early for my appointment – and a
very positive thing happened. The radiation techs, Colleen and
Allison (Michelle wasn't there this morning) called me in for my
treatment 15 minutes early. So, instead of going in at 10:15, I
actually was done and walking out the door at 10:15.</span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life-four.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5614053223603560475.post-74564873068892609832019-10-20T20:25:00.000-04:002019-10-20T20:25:49.982-04:00The First Day of the Rest of My Life – Another Nothing Day – October 20, 2019 – Day 50<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>You
can do everything you can to try to stop bad things from happening to
you, but eventually things will happen, so the best prevention is a
positive attitude.</b></i><span style="font-size: large;">
- Marie Osmond</span><br>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
found that today, Day #50, was almost a carbon copy of yesterday. No
energy and no real motivation.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That
being said, I actually did get a few simple things done and some
research done as well. While I continue to work on keeping my
attitude positive, I'm finding it somewhat demoralizing to realize
there is so much I want to do and I have the resources at my
fingertips to do it, but I just can't muster the motivation.
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm
also facing the fact that tomorrow morning I have that long (and it
seems to get longer every week) drive over the 7 mountains and
through the 7 valleys back to Winchester to be there in time for my
10:15 AM radiation treatment. That's a reality. But, another reality
is that at 10:30 AM tomorrow morning I'll only have four more
treatments left. </span></div>
</div><a href="http://livingandworkingfree.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-first-day-of-rest-of-my-life_87.html#more">Read more »</a>Ed Helveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11995821240780553373noreply@blogger.com0