Mom Faces Unexpected Health Scare After Back Injury
A single mother, Rachel Smith, 33, initially visited the hospital due to a slipped disc. However, what she thought would be her biggest concern quickly escalated into something much more frightening after a CT scan.
The incident occurred on April 11, when Smith took her 7-year-old to a birthday celebration at a soft play center. While attending, another child got stuck, prompting her to leap into action. At the time, she didn’t think too much of it, but the next day, she found herself in unbearable pain and unable to walk.
“During the party, a child got hurt on a slide that ejects riders onto a large airbag,” Smith recounted. “The child landed awkwardly, started crying, and reached out for help. I was the only adult there, so I jumped into the pit, having to sit awkwardly as my feet dangled above.” She described how she managed to help the child before rushing off to find her own son, hoping to prevent him from using the same slide.
After a couple of days with persistent pain, Smith decided to visit the hospital on April 13, suspecting she had a slipped disc. The emergency doctors ordered a CT scan, which confirmed her suspicion but also uncovered something alarming—a small mass on her left lung.
When the nurses informed her of the findings, Smith was stunned. Caught off guard, she thought she might have misheard them. “As a breast cancer survivor diagnosed at 28, the thought of facing it again struck me like a freight train,” she said.
Subsequently, she was transferred to Texas Oncology for further examination. The mass could possibly be scar tissue from her previous surgery, or, alternatively, it could indicate metastatic cancer. There was even the chance it could be benign bone growths or signs of bone cancer, which didn’t help her anxiety.
Receiving test results at the end of May, Smith learned the mass was negative for breast, reproductive, and thyroid cancer. Yet, lung cancer remained uncertain. “While the PET scan didn’t light up the mass, it’s still not completely clear. It’s just small enough—one centimeter—to complicate a biopsy,” she explained.
Decisions were made to push forward with a biopsy, though they acknowledged that obtaining a viable sample might be challenging due to the size. If it turns out to be lung cancer, early detection could allow for removal.
Smith expressed her frustrations and uncertainties. “I’m still not out of the woods,” she noted, but also recognized that the news wasn’t the worst she could have received.
As for her slipped disc, she stated, “It’s technically healed, though I’m still on medication for mild pain. I have to watch my activities carefully to avoid any further injuries. With conditions like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and POTS, I often don’t feel great overall, but some days I just manage to hide it better than others.”
Though her journey continues, Smith is striving to stay optimistic. She hopes her struggles will encourage others to hold on to their hope. Plus, she has launched a GoFundMe titled ‘Support for Rachel (aka ItsRitaFoxx)’ to assist with medical expenses.
Expressing gratitude for her supportive network of friends and family, she reminded herself that kindness and encouragement can come from unexpected places, making tough experiences a bit more bearable.
