Former Buffalo Bills and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has announced that he is now cancer free. Kelly announced on June 3rd that he had cancer of upper jaw bone.
“I found out great news on Wednesday,” Kelly said Monday at the opening of his 26th annual Jim Kelly Football Camp. “I don’t have to go through radiation treatment and chemo, which is a blessing. From what I’ve been told everything that they did in surgery, if I had to do radiation or chemo it would put me way back.”
Kelly reportedly had the left side of his jaw removed in surgery earlier this month along with all the teeth on the left side of his mouth, and several in front.
To replace what was removed Kelly had a skin graft performed where tissue was harvested from his left leg to be used in his mouth.
Kelly admitted the pain from cancer surgery was the most intense he’s ever felt.
“The worst part about my cancer is it’s right here in the area of my mouth,” said Kelly. “They had to remove most of my jaw on my left side. It’s very, very sore, but it takes time. I know when you have knee surgery or shoulder surgery it’s sore for a small period of time and rehab and everything is good and you just take your time. This is just constant pain for now, but it’s a small price to pay for where I’ll be later on down the road.”
A cancer free Jim Kelly is definitely great news.