Lady A‘s Charles Kelley is grateful for his fans. After announcing the news that he is battling multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, Kelley says he is grateful for his many fans who have reached out.
“I’m overwhelmed by the support,” he shares on social media. “Just so many people thinking about me, and it is, it’s weird. It still feels like it’s kind of a dream. I haven’t started the treatments or anything yet, but other than healing up from this rib fracture and just a little bit of body soreness, I feel like myself. I just feel like there’s gotta be a purpose to everything. I really started feeling that way through my sobriety journey. I’m just hopeful that as fast as these treatments have come along already, if I can just keep doing the next right thing, keep doing the next right thing, and just do what the doctors tell me, and keep giving myself runway, they may even have this thing licked over the next decade or so.”
Kelley goes on to admit that he’s, understandably, had “moments of sadness,” but overall is choosing to remain positive.
“I flipped the narrative in my mind, and I think mind, body, soul, faith,” the 45-year-old says. “There’s a reason for it all. And it might be to connect me even closer to my Higher Power, or really soak up these moments with my family more. Sometimes these things that feel like a curse can be blessings in disguise. Thank you all for all the love. I’m trying to get back to everybody. But man, I’m overwhelmed with emotion and love and support.”
What Charles Kelley Says About His Cancer Diagnosis
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Kelley sat with his wife, Cassie, to share his health diagnosis, which occurred when he went to the doctor after fracturing his ribs.
“One of the last blood tests we did, they found a blood cancer in there called multiple myeloma,” Kelley reveals in the video. “It’s rare. But I’m young, I feel healthy, and the treatments, I will say, have just come so far, even in the past five years, that even the life expectancy far exceeds what it used to be.”
Kelley says he is “really hopeful,” and optimistic about his future.
“I think in the same spirit of the way we’ve kind of shared a lot of my sobriety journey, just getting this stuff off your chest is so freeing, and it takes the power away from it a little bit,” Kelley says. “We wanted to let you all know what was going on, and we’re gonna get through it. I think in sobriety, it’s all about one day at a time, and that we’re not in control, so that’s the way we’re looking at it.”
The father of two is also continuing to work, even as he eventually undergoes treatment.
“Right now, I feel great,” Kelley says. “We’ve got a new record coming out soon with Lady A, and then we’ve got Christmas shows. The first six months of treatment, I believe, is not gonna be too super invasive. I can still work. … I want to keep working. Even going out last weekend, after learning the news, it was like, ‘This is where I belong.’ I need to be happy and doing what I love to do, and spending and soaking up as much time with my family as I can as well.
“But I’m hopeful,” he adds. “I really am. We just wanted to let you all know. And I’ll try to let you in when I feel like it’s appropriate throughout the journey, and it’s just another hurdle, and I feel confident that we’re going to get through it.”