Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has had plenty of surgeries in recent years, but his latest had nothing to do with his cancer battle.
Via the Buffalo News, Kelly had surgery Friday to remove a cyst between two vertebrae (L4 and L5) that was causing him tremendous pain.
“My family’s been yelling at me for a long time, but I kept putting it off, putting it off putting it off,” he said during an appearance at the Pro Bowl. And I got to a point where I can’t put it off anymore. I just can’t wait for a day where I’m pain-free. Right now, my back’s killing me. Hopefully, nothing else is wrong.
“I already have two plates and 10 screws in my back now. I’ve got a plate and six screws in my neck. Now I’m having another back surgery. I go, ‘Come on, Lord! Please, no more.’ It is what it is. You just have to keep fighting through it. I pray every day that one of these days, I will be pain-free. So far, that hasn’t been my case in many, many years.”
Kelly’s wife has posted a photo of him sitting up in a recovery area post-surgery, but admitted in an earlier post it was difficult going through yet another procedure after the many he has dealt with following his cancer diagnosis, as the family leans on their faith to help them through.