Kelly Stafford, wife of Lions QB, offers positive post-surgery update

Justin Rogers
The Detroit News
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, right, has been helping his wife, Kelly, while she prepared for surgery and recovery from a brain tumor.

Kelly Stafford, wife of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, posted a positive update on her health on Sunday, following a Wednesday surgery to remove an acoustic neuroma, a non-cancerous brain tumor that can impact balance and hearing. 

According to Kelly, the planned six-hour operation turned into a 12-hour procedure due to an "abnormal vein." Fortunately, the surgeon working to remove her tumor had not only seen the abnormality before, but had written a paper about it. 

"That’s truly God’s work," Kelly wrote on Instagram. "The prayers for my family, I’m beyond thankful for. A six-hour surgery went to 12 hours and although they were anxious and scared, your prayers got them through. Thank you. Thank you so much. Now I am home and learning my new norm. It’ll take some time, but I really just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for all your support, thoughts and prayers. It means more than y’all will ever know."

Stafford announced she required surgery to remove the tumor earlier this month, noting she had been dealing with the symptoms the past year, including bouts of vertigo starting in January. After her blood work came back normal, the tumor was identified via an MRI.

"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified of brain surgery," Kelly wrote on social media when making the announcement. "I am. I am terrified of them opening my head, I’m terrified of losing my hearing, I’m terrified of losing facial function, I’m terrified of far worse things that could happen and I’m terrified that I won’t take the time I need to recover because the guilt I might feel of being absent from my kids for too long."

While Kelly has been addressing her health issues, husband Matthew has understandably skipped the opening stage of the team's offseason program.

The Staffords met at the University of Georgia, where Matthew was a quarterback and Kelly was a cheerleader. The couple married in 2015 and have three children: 2-year-old twins Chandler and Sawyer and baby Hunter, who was born last August. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers