I was rushed to hospital after being bitten by a spider – they found something far worse
A mother of three says a spider bite saved her life after it led to a shocking diagnosis.
Sabrena Jones was bitten by a spider and after the spider continued to cause her “extreme pain” for days, she finally decided to go to the ER.
What followed was a scan and then the revelation that she had stage three kidney cancer, and a tumor the size of a basketball on her right kidney.
The Oklahoma native and former Navy reservist underwent emergency surgery and is now waiting to find out if she will need further treatment, such as radiation therapy.
The above image of her CT scan shows the cancer as the large lump under the liver (the large area above it). The tumor was the size of a basketball
Sabrena Jones, from Oklahoma, was hospitalized for what she thought was a spider bite. But doctors then diagnosed her with stage three kidney cancer
Mrs Jones said Newson6: ‘I expected to find out whether it was a recluse spider bite or not and then go home.
‘I had no symptoms at all, none. I was quite shocked [with the diagnosis].
“But I believe in God, so I wasn’t really worried about it because either way I was going to be in a good place. I was going to be healed or go to heaven.”
She also expressed her gratitude to the spider. If it hadn’t bitten her, she might never have found out she had cancer until it was too late, she said.
Ms Jones has not revealed where on her body the spider bit her.
Mrs Jones said that during her consultation the doctors also pressed on her abdomen, causing her to scream in pain.
This led to a CT scan, which revealed the cancer.
She is currently unable to work as she is in hospital recovering from surgery, which has raised concerns about how she will pay her medical bills.
Her daughter Brittany Britt now has a GoFundMe for her mother, from Yorkville, who has so far raised $2,530 of the $10,000 goal.
The mother, who also works as a nurse, has been struggling with anxiety and depression lately, according to her daughter.
In the US, approximately 81,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year. It is one of the most common forms of cancer in the US.
Warning signs include blood in the urine, pain in the side or lower back, persistent 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 that without the bite the cancer likely would have gone unnoticed
Ms Jones’ family has now started a GoFundMe to help pay her medical bills
In its early stages, cancer usually causes no symptoms. In about half of cases, a routine ultrasound reveals another problem.
Treatment consists of surgery to cut out the cancer cells and then radiation to kill any remaining cells.
Her daughter wrote online: ‘My mother has been diagnosed with kidney cancer and had it removed, but she still has a long road ahead of her.
‘And because of that she can’t work now and therefore can’t pay her bills.
“So I’ve decided to create a GoFundMe account. If you can’t donate, I ask that you at least share.”