It has been a while . More than a year, and much has happened to Dennis.  Taj now calls him grandpa. I would like you to continue to participate by looking up Dennis at his new page http://www.whatmattersnow.org/visit/dennis-neill you can contribute photos, sign the guest book, or just read. We would appreciate your thoughts, love from Faith and Dennis

Ringing out the Old Year and Ringing in the New Year

We are awaiting results of  the end of year MRI in the Cancer Center at Swedish Hospital today, after ten days of travel and enjoying a trip to Denver visiting Erin, Glen, new grand baby "Taj", Heather, cousin Bobbi, friends Gary and Debbie, Kez and Doug.... Phew, we are tired and ready to be home but very thankful for the time with friends and family, a few pounds heavier, and generally in good spirits.  Our annual eye exams went well and bleeding in Dennis's retina has subsided so that there are not the worries of last year.  Heather is off on a cruise to New Zealand for14 days, and Erin has off from teaching school so everyone except Bobbi is getting some r&r for the new year.  All is good with the world, the Broncos and Seahawks are doing great.... And well, Dennis is feeling good...
Our friends Karen and Jim are celebrating the completion of their new house in Thorne Bay with a big bash on new years so we'll hop on the ferry to celebrate with them for a day or two.
When I can post some family pictures I will.  Results from the MRI show no changes!, everything stable for another three months! Happy New Year to all, With best wishes for good health to you all, Faith and Dennis

A Mule Deer from Montana

Dennis has been busy on his six weeks down south. Besides meeting his new grand baby he was able to bag a 4 X 5 mule deer within 200 yards of the Missouri River. This hunting spot is just two miles west of the town of Fort Benton. Dennis really enjoys this spot and had friends in the area. He also replaced the engine in his truck in Dillon, Montana. THAT is a whole other story. He hunted in Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota.  He drove the newly fixed truck home via ferry. He got home right in time for Thanksgiving and to help with the move in to the Winter Arts Faire here at home.

Please realize we have a new PO Box and Zipcode.  Wait to send holiday mail to us until you hear.  We'll be updating you all on the medical results from the last visit.

Wishing you the best for the holidays, Faith and Dennis.

Dennis becomes a Grandfather! Taharqa Israel Neill Williams born on September 27th 2012 to Erin and Glen Williams

So there's a new baby in the family!!  A 7 pound 1 ounce baby boy was born to Erin (Neill) and her husband Glen Williams.  He has been growing by leaps and bounds.  Dennis was able to see the baby on his trip south.  At the time of this picture he had grown significantly.  Check out those camo pants!!  "Taj" is his nickname-he was 7 pounds one ounce when born, and he is quite a chunk now.  Further updates as we get them.  Hugs to everyone, Dennis and Faith

The Latest MRI shows GREAT NEWS

Dennis and I recently returned from Swedish Hopsital in Seattle with good news!  Tumors that had been measured and shown in dye flares in the last MRI two months ago showed a 40-60% reduction in size AND NO NEW TUMORS WERE NOTED!  Dr. Kaplan was thrilled with the results and noted that in about three months Dennis will have been on the temodar oral chemotherapy one year. 

Dennis also had a productive meeting with the speech pathologist who is working on exercises that use the brain to help with short term memory issues and the anomia, or inability to use nouns propoerly. 

Summer has finally hit our island in southeast Alaska.  Dennis fills his days with hikes, berry picking, helping me with Blueberry festival doings, and planning fall hunts...We are both looking forward to traveling to Denver area to meet the new grandbaby this fall.  Dennis has hunting plans for Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota this year.

Faith's comfort Quilt that went to a healing friend

Although blood tests have shown no change, at the end of a year the doctors like to take patients off the chemotherapy-it causes leukemia or blood borne cancers with continued use.  We are staying in Alaska while I work on the Forest and looking forward to Dennis's steady improvements throughout the Fall.  Many of our friends have become ill lately and we send prayers and best wishes to you to steadily improve and regain health, Faith and Dennis

20 Years Together

For the last 20 years we try to celebrate this anniversary by doing a fun trip.  Sandwiched in between this fun trip to southwest Washington and Long Beach were trips to the medical folks in Seattle.  The good news is the bleeding in Dennis's left eye has stopped, so there was no need to start treating it with anything.  One less medication is always good news. So we hung around the beach and looked at old houses for sale and went to Fort Clatsop See Dennis above and then I went to a quilt store and Dennis went to some gun stores.  We did a lot of sleeping and ate good food. Overall it was a good trip and we were glad to be home in the end despite the rain and cold weather.  Hope your summer is starting out grand, Faith and Dennis

Spring visits to Colorado and Missouri

Heather, Dennis, and Erin with a Baby boy bot in the belly!

It was sunny in the mile high city of Denver as we landed in the Plains ( of Kansas) to visit Heather after her surgery for the removal of a Schwanomma and see Erin and Glen. Many thanks to our friends The Qualls for giving us a pace to stay. We now have the great news that Heather is recovering well, out walking with her dog Charlie, and the happy (Erin and Glen) couple is expecting a boy in September. Then we were off to visit Dennis's mom Betty in Missouri and to celebrate mom's day with her. We saw lots of relatives, went to a graduation party, and enjoyed the relatively cool spring weather. Then we were back through Seattle for a visit to the oncologist and another MRI. Dennis has been feeling less pain in his hands and fists and that is good. He has been experiencing some spins in his brain that make him feel poorly. The oncologist has cut the amount of melatonin he is taking from 20 mg to 10 mg. The MRI results indicate that the rumors have not changes in size, they are stable, and some new flourescing areas are still present. So we are to return in two months. Next week we celebrate being together 20 years. We'll take a short break and go to Long Beach in southwest Wahington state. We are staying in a b&b and going to just chill for awhile. Then back north to Seattle to see the retina specialist and see if there is any more bleeding in the left eye. We really want all of you to know that the blogspot will be continued to keep you up to date. Faith has been really busy at work since March: a youth art show, a youth and educator summit on climate change, and lastly the completion of two interpretive films for the visitor centers. We hope to spend more time with each other as the year progresses. Happy summer to you all, Faith and Dennis

It's Sunny in Nome for the 40th running of the Iditarod

Dateline Nome, Alaska . The first day of the 40th running of the last great race. The teams are

racing to the coast A Zirkle and dogs of SP Kennel are ahead!! Deb, Hunter and I have only been on the ground 6 times today the sunset in Nome made it worth it We are here and ready to work.

What the MRI Shows: Good News!

Just a short update while Dennis is off working a Friends of the NRA table at the mall. We just returned from Seattle and a visit with his retina specialist and his oncologist. The new retina scan for his left eye showed about 2 microns of new bleeding below his field of vision. The doctor has chosen to watch it further, no treatments are planned. The MRI was the first new brain scan for four months-and the results were good. There is obvious shrinkage of some of the tunors and absence of some other flourescing areas-they put dye in the MRI-and some new areas to watch-they want to see him again in three months, and decided not to change his low daily dosage of temodar. We both came home feeling really tired but really relieved. So that is the latest. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts, Faith and Dennis

Getting Piggy in Texas

Dennis spent a week in Texas, shot seven pigs and decreased the feral pig problem just a little with his buddies. They got 35 in all. He flew down to Houston and then spent some rainy days hunting boars and sows. Some were, admittedly, well, ugly. Here he is with his buddy Kevin (he is the one in the orange vest) and a sow.

He brought back a hundred pounds of meat! Sausage and biscuits here we come..... Now he is busy butchering and grinding.

Dennis is on his third week of a daily dose of temodar, the brain cancer poison. Next Tuesday we go to Seattle for the first MRI in 4 months to see if it has been effective. He says this daily dose doesn't bother him as much as the 7 days on 7 days off schedule he was on. His new oncologist is Henry Kaplan at Swedish Cancer Center, and we both like him. He is also seeing a retina specialist as well, due to some old bleeding behind his left eye that was found at the end of last year. She believes that it might have been prompted by his past radiation. So far it has not migrated to his central field of vision and therefore is not affecting sight. He turned 61 years old this last Monday and was treated to cake and ice cream at our local NRA meeting. He is also going to be a grandpa some time late this September. Congratulations to Erin and Glen on the exciting news!! Auntie Heather and all of us are very excited by the propsects of a little one being born.

Now that the weather is a little nicer in Alaska Dennis is out walking in what appears to be-well, sunshine!! Now the sun is up while rising in the morning and it is still light when leaving work at the office-what a relief that spring is almost here. Hoping you all are seeing the sun wherever you are, Dennis and Faith

Family and Friends on the Holidays

Dennis and I celebrated our holidays in Denver this year, sandwiched between doctor's appointments and a visit with a new oncologist, Henry Kaplan, from Swedish Hospital. It was a great visit-we got to see Heather and Erin and Glen, and spend time with them during their days off.

Gary and Debbie Qualls hosted us at their home for the first two days-thanks for all the help re-orienting me to Denver-it was surprising how fast I got around the old neigborhood with their direction....thanks G&D for your freindship & hospitality.

(above) Dennis, Sam and Scott Fitzwilliams from Glenwood Springs

We stayed in Lakewood at a guest room in Erin and Glen's apartment complex-it was handy because it was so easy to get around from there to all points north and south. Traffic in denver has only gotten worse. We got to see friends, some of whom we hadn't seen in as much as 20 years-it was awesome. Thanks to Erin and Glen for arranging it!

Heather has been diagnosed with a schwanoma, a kind of localized cancer of the nerve sheaths in her spine, which is likely benign, but is causing lots of discomfort. She is planning surgery for February. We were extra glad to be able have Dennis and his girls together.

Dennis's visit to the eye doctor in Lynnwood on the way south alerted us to a occluded artery in his left eye, which a retina specialist later took pictures of-apparently it is not blocking the central vision but they want to monitor it in case it expands. The retina doctor said it looked like old blood had pooled there and she chose not to laser it but watch it.

Dennis's new cancer doctor at Swedish Hospital spent a lot of time with us and may end up altering Dennis's temodar chemo regime to a low daily dose. He suggested the retina issue may be from the avastin Dennis received in the clinical trial. All in all it began the new year on a positive note for his treatments. By the time we got home to Alaska we were tired but glad to be in familiar surroundings again. Wishing you all the best in the new year, Dennis and Faith

Holiday Greetings 2011

Happy Holidays everyone!

Well, we are on our way to drier climates and to visit Denver area: Heather, Erin and Glen and a host of friends tomorrow-and we are excited to get off the wet rock. Hope you are enjoying hoidays with families and friends too. Here is Alaska it seems to be raining much of the time, and there have been 5 days of no rain this month so far. We are ready to see the sun.

Dennis is on his second week of oral chemotherapy taking temodar and he is tolerating it well. He knows just what to do, take it in the evening and sleeps. He has been on it before, and there is a week between taking the drug when he can recover by not taking it. On the way south and on the way north we'll be visiting specialists, including a new oncologist that we have high hopes of taking over Dennis's care. We are also working with a local doctor so that he can take his chemo here in Alaska. Thank goodness everyone is working together.

There are lots of adventures planned for for 2012-Dennis is going pig hunting in Texas and I am attending and working at the Mule Deer Fdn camp in Salt Lake City. And, the days are getting longer-thank goodness, we are ready for spring to arrive. Love and best wishes to all of you, Dennis and Faith

Being Thankful 2011

We are here in Alaska enjoying a day off from hectic schedules; Dennis is putting away hunting gear, and I am off of work until Monday. It has snowed some in the morning, and it was 32 degrees F when we called Dennis's mom in Missouri and the girls in Colorado. Everyone we talked to is doing well; Heather was grating cheese for a cauliflower au gratin; in Missouri the temperature was headed for 70 degrees when we called.

On this Thanksgiving, and indeed each day we are thankful for having each other; that the kids are well and happy; that our family and friends are content and doing well; that the larder and freezers are full of the fruits (quite literally for my upright) fishes, game meat and birds of our labors. There's plenty else, and the list could be quite long, but we'll stop there.

As the darkeness falls around 4 pm we are looking forward to the time that daylight will increase instead of decrease. We wish you all the best in the coming season, Dennis and Faith

October through November Hunting trip

Dennis has just returned from his fall hunting trip to the lower 48. I tagged along for the first two weeks-after being with my mom for her 80th birthday. He drove his truck on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry and landed in Bellingham Washington, picking me up at the airport.

We began our adventure with the Daniels in Missoula and their doggie Maggie-then our next step was a terrific trip across Yellowstone country into Wyoming-to the K-Z guest ranch. There I hung out in the pines while Dennis got out hunting for some mule deer-and several rides on his horse, Nevada.

Nevada is now 19 years years old-originally a mustang from Nevada and bound for the Grand Tetons, this wonderful horse came into Dennis's life in 1994 via friend Scott Fitzwilliams. I have never seen such a broad smile as the day Dennis rode off on Nevada to hunt. Our trip to Wyoming and the K-Z was too short and we'll not be as far out of touch as we have been.

I then flew home to Alaska and Dennis went hunting on the lease for Mule deer with friend Orville Daniels-he got a non-typical 4 X 3-a big one-and then some pheasants. After getting the deer in the freezer he had brought in the truck. Dennis drove to the Black Hills and hunted with friends south of Custer, South Dakota for whitetail. Two weeks later he was back home in Alaska. Except for a pesky abcess in his jaw, he has felt fine the entire trip.

He got home just in time for some thick snow and blowing winds. Winter has arrived in southeast Alaska. His next medical step is a trip south next week to go to see his new nuero-oncologist and working with a local GP here in Ketchikan to coordinate chemotherapy. We'll update you when we know more. In the meantime, we are thankful for successful hunts and a safe return.

Our best wishes to all of you for a wonderful Thanksgiving with family around you, Happy holidays, Dennis and Faith

Dennis is going to get a P.E.T.

No, it is not a furry fourlegged one....it stands for Positron Emission Tomography, and it is a way of assessing the glucose uptake, oxygen use, and vascularity of individual cells. A nuclear medicine is added to glucose which is injected as an IV and then pictures are taken in what can only descibed as radiology donut machine smaller than an MRI donut.

Dennis and I have just returned from Seattle, where his latest MRI shows areas near the old tumor site that appear to have dye enhancements called flares. While some have come and gone, and many appear to have disappeared because they were scar tissue from past radiology treatments, this area is suspicious. The P.E.T. scan will determine if these cells are scar tissue or cancer.

In general he feels good. He was sad to see his nuero oncologist Dr. Lynn Taylor leave for Tufts University. She has been heading up his medical team and is one of the finest readers of brain MRIs ever-but Thursday is her last day so today we wished her well with a little Alaska salmon and jam, and then spent the rest of the appointment discussing his treatment options for the future-including how to work avastin treatments around his hunting trips and visits to the lower 48. We both got home to Alaska exhausted, but glad to be home.
Stay tuned, we'll let you know what we hear in a week or so. Keep those prayers and good wishes coming in, Faith and Dennis

September is here and so is Heather!

Youngest daughter Heather is here with her Dad and they have been fishing! So far the weather has given them a reprieve and they have had two good days on the water. Yesterday they saw humpbacks gulping krill, and today one of their lines had a banana peel on it as they pulled it out of the water. That is the way things go here in southeast Alaska. The fisherpersons have decided to sleep in this morning.

They have lots of plans for the rest of the week, we'll keep you updated, Love and cheers from us three!

August: Niece Bobbi Arrives from Utah!

Bobbi arrived for a week's visit-they did the zipline through the rainforest canopy, took a flightseeing trip into the Misty Fiords, went fishing and caught tons of salmon-and basically dodged the raindrops (they had some pretty nice weather days too!)

Meanwhile, I was at work, but did manage to make some kelp pickles and Dennis managed to pick huckleberries. The end of the summer is rapidly approaching.

Dennis is feeling good- as long as he has his naps. He is getting stronger day by day, getting ready for hunting season. I will be meeting up with him in Seattle as he is going down south by Alaska Marine Highway.

Youngest daughter Heather visits in a week so we are looking forward to that lots! More updates soon, Dennis and Faith

Blueberry Fesitval and Summer Activities

Let's see, first news is Dennis is feeling good-with the minor inconvenience of a toothache this week and then suddenly taking ill after eating nutrasweet in a milkshake (that set him back a whole week, he is allergic to phenylalanine, the active ingredient in nutrasweet). He's been hiking every day, taking long power naps, and generally feeling fine. His next MRI is on September 26th, and we'll both fly south for that.

Our yard sales went fine, people actually bought stuff! Hooray!! With the help of many friends we help put up the booth and unpack all the canned goods and fabric goodies for Faith's booth at the Blueberry Festival-she was so tired she fell asleep during the picture....

The weather here was cool and wet early in the summer so the berry picking schedule is really off this year. I continue to pick whenever possible. We are looking forward to visits from Neice Bobby this month and then daughter Heather next month-they are going out in the skiff with Dennis to slaughter the Silvers! Heather, and now Erin and Glen have moved to Colorado and are all in the Denver area. Wishing you a happy summer, Faith and Dennis

Monday's MRI brings GOOD NEWS!

Dennis was off to Seattle last Sunday while I visited my Mom in California. He had an MRI to see the results of the 8 days of IMRT radiation he had over a month ago. The MRI showed that the two lesions were smaller and had not spread. He must be living right! He was very relieved going home on Monday and now is planning another visit at the end of our New England tour in September-thw doctors said they wanted to see him again in three months,

This is great news.... and he ia feeling fine, hiking daily, and taking power naps each day. We are both going to be getting ready to have some massive yard sales un July. I return home tomorrow, Thursday, just in time for the weather to get hot here in the Valley. Wishing you a happy fourth! Dennis and Faith

Graduation Day for Heather!!

(left) Heather receives congratulatory kisses after the ceremony

(Left) Glen, Heather, Dennis & Erin before the ceremony

Despite the early hour we drove to get to Lake Street Church in Pasadena- we had plugged the location in the GPS-bless those machines-we had to drive right through downtown LA on the 110 freeway-Phew-remind me why I love Alaska. Traffic was relatively light until we got to Pasadena-where crowds of people were arriving for the baccalaureate cermony.

We picked up the soon to be graduate at her friend's place near campus-then Erin and Glen joined us-we all carpooled over to the enormous church where graduation ceremonies were being held. The graduates filed in at 10 am-and we were done a little aftenoon. It was a long ceremony with over 800 graduates-that is a lot of names and life stories. Now Heather has her Master of Arts in Theology, and we are all thrilled!

Afterwards, being truely hungry, we all went to Roscoes for chicken and waffles and then on to the Autry Museum nestled in the park for an afternoon of exhibits on cowboys, Colts, and basketmaking. Faith walked in at the end of a silent auction for Navajo Rugs -and picked up a storm pattern rug, waiting the 15 minutes to win it-it was a fortuitous arrival! By five pm we were off to Pasadena Old Town to eat at a restuarant Dennis and Glenn had discovered before the wedding last year: Green Street Tavern is really yummy and we all ate way too much.

It was bittersweet to have to leave the family after dinner-Heather flies back to Denver Monday- she's job hunting and dog training her new dog Charlie. Erin and Glen are moving to Denver from LA in three weeks. Erin finishes her teaching job at Watts Charter School in two weeks and then she will become a reading teacher in Lakewood, CO.

It was so great to be together-while we dislike the hustle bustle of LA and the air quality, we are very glad the family is going to be relocated shortly and that we could all be together for this important moment. Love to all, Dennis, Faith, Erin, Glen and of course, graduate Heather.