'I thought I could do it': Wife of Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford reveals she is back in hospital days after her 12-hour brain surgery because the 'pain got so far ahead of me'
- Kelly Stafford returned to the ER on Wednesday after suffering 'pain and massive headaches' following her 12-hour brain surgery this past weekend
- She underwent surgery for acoustic neuroma, a benign brain tumor
- She revealed she struggled to taper off steroids and pain medication
- Kelly hopes to be released from the hospital by Thursday
- The tumor she had developed on balance and auditory nerves
- If left untreated, it could lead to hearing loss and imbalance
- Stafford began feeling dizzy last year and started suffering from vertigo spells
- Surgery was supposed to last 6 hours, but doctors discovered an abnormal vein
- She is married to Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford
Kelly Stafford, the wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, has returned to the hospital just days after undergoing a 12-hour brain operation.
Over the weekend the mother-of-three underwent a lengthy operation to remove a benign brain tumor and was allowed to return home by Easter Sunday.
But Kelly, 29, checked herself back into the hospital on Wednesday after suffering crippling pain post-surgery when she tried to wean herself off medication and steroids.
She took to Instagram to open up about her struggle to cope with the debilitating pain.
'I thought I could do it. They told me tapering off the steroids was going to be very difficult,' she posted on Wednesday with a picture of herself crumpled on the couch.
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Kelly Stafford, the wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, returned to the hospital on Wednesday, just days after undergoing a 12-hour brain operation over the weekend
She opened up on Instagram revealing she was struggling with pain and massive headaches and struggling to taper off steroids to help with the pain
'I told myself the pain would succumb to me, I wouldn’t succumb to it. I was so wrong. The pain got so far ahead of me I couldn’t keep anything down, including meds,' she revealed on Wednesday, sharing a picture with her supportive husband Matthew Stafford
'I thought I could power through the pain and massive headaches that were challenging me throughout the day. I figured I could pull my strength from one of the strongest people I know, Matthew.
'I told myself the pain would succumb to me, I wouldn’t succumb to it. I was so wrong. The pain got so far ahead of me I couldn’t keep anything down, including meds,' she added.
She revealed that Wednesday morning she ended up back in the ER and back on steroids and pain medication.
'At first, I felt like I had failed, like I couldn’t handle it.. but what I really failed at was listening to my own body. A lesson I feel like I am going to have to keep reminding myself of... They will keep me here overnight just to monitor in hopes of going home in the morning,' she added.
She shared pictures of her recovery at home with her football player husband, then another picture in a hospital bed upon her return to the ER.
On Monday she revealed she underwent a 12-hour surgery for a brain tumor over the weekend. She is pictured here following the surgery with Stafford (right)
Kelly also shared a video that showed her up and walking around the hospital with the help of Stafford and her mother
Kelly's surgery was originally supposed to take six hours, but the length doubled after doctors discovered she had an abnormal vein in her brain
'This Easter is the beginning of a new life for me,' the caption read. 'I wanna take a second to thank all of you for all the prayers'
According to ESPN, her husband Matthew Stafford had returned to workouts with the Lions on Monday, but the team assured him to take as much time as he needs to assist his wife.
Kelly and Matthew have twin girls who turned two last month and an 8-month-old daughter.
On Monday, Kelly went public with her surgery on Instagram, sharing a picture in a wheelchair at the hospital with her husband and her mother.
'This Easter is the beginning of a new life for me. I wanna take a second to thank all of you for all the prayers,' she wrote. 'They have worked. I know they have.'
Earlier this month she revealed to her followers that she had an acoustic neuroma, a benign brain tumor that develops on the balance and auditory nerves and can cause hearing loss or imbalance.
During surgery, Kelly's doctors also discovered that she had an 'abnormal' vein.
'Maybe abnormal for other neurosurgeons, but not the one we chose,' she wrote. 'He had seen it before and written a paper on it. That's truly God's work.'
'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.'
Kelly posted this sweet photo of Stafford and her mother keeping her company at home following the surgery
In her Easter post Kelly revealed she was happy to be back home and 'learning my new norm'.
Kelly shared a picture of her and Stafford earlier this month, revealing that the smiling selfie was actually from the day they found out about her tumor.
'I said I wanted this picture of us, so that the day this was all over, we could look back at this photo and remember,' she wrote.
Kelly then revealed that she had first begun noticing symptoms this last year while trying to teach ballet moves to her three daughters.
'I would show my girls how to do a front roll or twirl in ballet class and immediately feel dizzy and off balance,' she wrote.
'Things that I had been doing my entire life were now, all of a sudden, difficult.'
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Kelly revealed earlier this month that she had an acoustic neuroma, a benign brain tumor that develops on the balance and auditory nerves and can cause hearing loss or imbalance. Pictured is her MRI showing the tumor
Kelly shared a picture of her and Stafford earlier this month, revealing that the smiling selfie was actually from the day they found out about her tumor
Kelly said she began feeling dizzy this year while trying to show her daughters (pictured with Stafford) ballet moves
In January, Kelly experienced her first spell of vertigo. But when she went to the hospital, all her tests came back normal.
After several more vertigo spells, the Lions' team doctor recommended that she get an MRI to 'rule everything major out'.
'A few days later we were hit with the results,' she continued. 'I had a tumor sitting on some of my cranial nerves. All I heard was brain tumor and that they had to do surgery to take it out.'
Kelly admitted that she was 'completely terrified' of brain surgery.
'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,' she wrote.
Kelly and Stafford first met at the University of Georgia, where he was the star quarterback and she was a cheerleader
The couple wed in 2015 and now share two-year-old twin daughters Sawyer and Chandler and eight-month-old daughter Hunter. Kelly is pictured here in 2017
'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.'
'Please pray for Matthew as I know his nerves will be high during this surgery,' she added. 'I couldn't imagine being out in that waiting room.'
Kelly and Stafford first met at the University of Georgia, where he was the star quarterback and she was a cheerleader.
Stafford was selected by the Lions with the first-overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The couple wed in 2015 and now share two-year-old twin daughters Sawyer and Chandler and eight-month-old daughter Hunter.
Stafford was selected by the Lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
