The surgical biopsy showed that I indeed have multifocal (=many tumor) ependymoma of the spine. Given the impossibility of removing so many tumors surgically, radiation is the most effective treatment. Fortunately, NIH finds me sufficiently interesting to irradiate me, monitor me subsequently, and perform any additional treatments in the future if and when the tumors return. The prognosis is that the radiation will eliminate most of the ependymoma (although the tumors will shrink or disappear slowly) but the probability is high that the ependymoma will return eventually. Hence this is a condition I will have to live with for decades.

In the near term I have 5 weeks of daily radiation treatments starting in ~10 days. The major side effect is fatigue which builds as the treatments progress. The extent and duration of the fatigue are unknown given my age and physical condition, but I assume that over a period of a few weeks I will be too tired to drive into GSFC but will be able to do varying amounts of work at home on my laptop (as I did recovering from the operation on my back).

Currently I am barely feeling any pain, although I know better than to stand for long periods of time.