Jim Kelly reveals new details of his cancer prognosis - 'You've got to trust in the good Lord'
As much punishment as legendary Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly took during his 11-year Hall of Fame career, it’s nothing compared to the pain and suffering he’s gone through over the past few years.
And whether you’re a Bills fan or not, you have to admire the 58-year old’s faith.
Kelly was scheduled to have a procedure on March 28 to have his upper left jaw reconstructed.
Part of that side of his jaw was removed back in 2015, two years after his first cancer diagnosis. That surgery saved his life, but also caused extreme pain. The planned operation was designed to help alleviate some of that suffering.
A biopsy in advance of the surgery revealed the cancer is back, this time on his upper right jaw.
That test may have saved his life again.
Dr. Maureen Sullivan, chief of the department of dentistry and oral oncology at the Erie County Medical Center, told the Buffalo News that she suggested the biopsy because things just didn’t look right.
“I saw a tissue problem,” Sullivan said. “I saw something that looked suspicious.”
It’s obviously a devastating blow to Kelly, whose previous fight against cancer was well-documented. But the former Bill relies on his faith as prepares for another long battle.
“God works in mysterious ways, because all the negatives might turn into a big positive,” Kelly said. “Now, they can go in and remove the cancer that’s on the other side and rebuild the whole jaw at the same time.”
It’s somewhat ironic that Kelly, one of the toughest quarterbacks in NFL history, finally felt enough pain that he sought to undergo the reconstruction procedure.
“The bottom line is I can’t rely on my medicine for the rest of my life,” Kelly said. “And the quality of life was not there. Kelly Tough … I can only be so tough. And then, after awhile, it was like Kelly Tough’s getting old. I’m a human like everybody else. You can say what you want, but the thing is, pain is pain.
“I don’t complain to anybody. But my family sees it every day and the thing is, (I know) the type of quality of life I want, and if there’s something out there that can help me, then I need to pursue it, I need to look into it.”
The reconstruction is nothing short of a medical miracle. Doctors will take part of Kelly’s fibula and turn it into a functioning jaw.
Initially, however, Kelly will spend several weeks following the surgery on a feeding tube.
And as he faces the long recovery process, Kelly trusts that the “good Lord” has a plan for his life.
“The bottom line is I’ve been through so many things in my life and I keep getting thrown these curve balls and the bottom line is that you’ve got to trust in the good Lord that He has a plan for me down the road,” Kelly said. “We all go through tough times. As a matter of fact, I was reading the Book of Job in my bible (Friday) morning, the last couple of days, and I understand all the things he went through. But he never once shied away from understanding that the Lord had plans.”
Incredibly, once the recovery from the procedure is complete, the quarterback should even be able to return to playing sports.
Kelly’s latest fight has brought out even more supporters.
“I might have lost four Super Bowls in a row, but I’ve kicked cancer’s (butt) twice,” Kelly said. “And I plan on making it a third, with the grace of God.”
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