Though tumor's return likely, it's good post-op news for Taylor Radtke

After 10 days of sleeping upright, 9-year-old Taylor Radtke got the best news ever Monday afternoon: She can sleep lying down again.

Make that just some of the best news of the day. Doctors also cleared her to go swimming.

"And that's what she's going to do ... first thing she said was, 'I'm jumping in the pool today,'" her mom, Laurie Radtke, said right after her daughter's first post-op visit following the removal of another tumor in her head.

For Laurie, the news was mixed. Pathology reports show no new disease. "I'm very relieved. Very relieved," the Johnsburg mom said. She worried the new tumor return meant cancer.

But tests do confirm the disease is fibrous dysplasia, which was first discovered in the initial tumor removal in October 2007, and the doctors said it's likely to return, Laurie said. "Now we know it's aggressive and will come back," Laurie said of the bone disease that can attack any bone, in this case nestling into the clivus bone that supports the brain and the nearby sinus cavities.

"We're going to have to keep a close eye so they can take it out when she's having symptoms. They said because of her young age and because the tumor came back sooner than expected this time, they'll want to keep a more aggressive approach," Laurie said.

Eventually, doctors will likely have to cut open her skull to get at future tumors rather than through her nose, which they've done up to this point.

"Unless they go in with that more aggressive approach, they will never get it all," Laurie said. "It's so far back in her brain. They pulled out what they could, but there are a lot of risks."

She said the family is comfortable with this approach, especially since Taylor is doing so well now. And after weeks of worry and discomfort for Taylor - not to mention the recent challenge of sleeping upright to ensure her sinus cavities drained after the recent surgery - the news Monday was a relief.

Cards and letters sent by Daily Herald readers touched the family deeply, she added. And they sure put a smile on Taylor's face. "The cards were so beautiful," Laurie said. "I was crying. She read every single one. Tell everyone thank you."