A mother-of-three said a spider bite saved her life – after it led to a shocking diagnosis.
Sabrena Jones was bitten by a spider, and after days of pain and pain, she finally decided to go to the emergency room.
What followed was a scan and then the revelation that I had stage three kidney cancer and a basketball-sized tumor on my right kidney.
The Oklahoma native and former Navy reservist underwent emergency surgery and is now waiting to find out if she will also need additional treatment, such as radiation therapy.
The above image of her CT scan reveals the cancer as a large lump under her liver (the large area on top of her liver). The tumor was about the size of a basketball.
Sabrena Jones of Oklahoma was hospitalized for what she thought was a spider bite, but doctors diagnosed her with stage three kidney cancer.
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Mrs. Jones said News6‘I was hoping to find out whether or not it was a brown recluse spider bite and go home.
‘I didn’t have any symptoms, none. I was quite shocked (by the diagnosis).’
“But I believe in God, so I wasn’t too worried because either way, I would be fine. I would either get better or go to heaven.”
She also expressed her gratitude to the spider and said that if it had not bitten her, she might never have found out she had cancer until it was too late.
Ms Jones did not reveal where on her body she was bitten by the spider.
During her consultation, Ms Jones said doctors also put pressure on her stomach, causing her to scream in pain.
This led her to have a CT scan, which revealed the cancer.
She is currently unable to work because she is in the hospital recovering from surgery, which leaves her worried about how she will pay her medical bills.
Her daughter Brittany Britt has now released a GoFundMe for her mother, of Yorkville, who has so far raised $2,530 of the $10,000 goal.
The mother, who also works as a nurse, has been struggling recently with anxiety and depression, according to her daughter.
Each year, approximately 81,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer in the U.S., which is one of the most common cancers in the country.
Warning signs include blood in the urine, pain in the side or lower back, constant fatigue, and a lump or swelling in the kidney area.
Some patients may also experience unexplained weight loss.
The mother of three thanked the spider for the bite, saying without it the cancer would likely have gone unnoticed.
Ms. Jones’ family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her medical expenses.
At first, cancer usually does not cause any symptoms (about half of cases are detected during a routine ultrasound for a separate problem).
Treatment involves surgery to remove the cancer and then also radiation therapy to kill any remaining cells.
Her daughter wrote online: ‘My mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had it removed but she has a long road ahead of her.
‘And with that he can’t work at the moment and therefore can’t pay his bills.
“That’s why I’ve decided to create a GoFundMe account. If you can’t donate, I ask you to at least share.”
