Notes from phone conversation with Dr. Mark Bilsky
Wednesday, 6 October 2004

	Bilsky received the MRIs Tuesday, 5 October, 
nineteen days after he requested them to be taken.
He found them "very helpful".  They confirm "some
tumor infiltration" into the vetebral bodies of C5
and C6; these will be removed, but perhaps only these
two.
	Despite the large tumor growing off the right side of
the cervical spine, the right vetebral artery does not seem
very displaced and still has blood flow (although reduced
compared to the left).
	He described the surgical procedure as 
"straightforward", although not easy.

	He will contact Zya Gokaslan at Johns-Hopkins tomorrow
(Thur) and I am to call Bilsky again Friday noon-time.  He
and Zya will discuss whether the more radial on-block resection
is warranted in my case.  

	He has not yet looked at my chest CT scan to better
evaluate the two lesions found.  Perhaps by Friday.

	In response to some questions that I had:
	: 5-7 days in the hospital
	: hard cervical collar for 6-8 weeks
	: no perceived need for halo-cast at this point
	: 4-6 week's recovery before proton beam therapy
	: likely surgery date during last week in October