Selling Sunset's Amanza Smith, 46, Dealt With Blood Infection & the Anxiety Around Possible Cancer Diagnosis

The Netflix TV series gives viewers insight into the high-end real estate world. The show is infused with a healthy amount of inter-office drama among the agents and their personal relationships. For Smith, a mother of two, she dealt with other issues related to her health that had potentially serious consequences.

Smith had a cancer scare that she incorporated into the reality TV show. She underwent a scan of her uterus, and she claimed the scans "didn't look good." Luckily, her biopsy revealed "benign" results.

Then she started experiencing pain in her lower back that led to another health scare.

"Over a month ago and all of this started I thought that I had a bulging disk or a slipped disc or something wrong with my lower back that was regular. I laid in pain in my house for several days," Smith said.

The reality TV star went to see her doctor at Cedar Sinai to get blood tests, an MRI, and a CT scan.

"Come to find out I had an infection in my blood that had caused a great deal of infection to be spread to the bones of my spine," Smith wrote in a post.

Smith said doctors first thought she was dealing with a tumor, but that ended up not being the case.

"Everyone was very scared, including myself," Smith said.

Smith underwent surgery to "have portions of the infection removed" from her spine. She ended her post remaining hopeful for her back pain to subside and to make a full recovery.

Finding Gratitude After Cancer

"I will continue to be grateful for my health, and even more so now than ever," Smith said after her experience.

Experiencing a health scare or a diagnosis can certainly shift your mindset. Just as it impacts patients, loved ones of people battling cancer or chronic disease are also impacted and tend to find a sense of gratitude.

"I have lost many loved ones to cancer," Smith said.

"The most recent one was my adoptive father, and you all see that in season six…It affects everyone involved in a very heartbreaking way. Let's celebrate life on this post," she adds.

SurvivorNet has shared many stories from cancer warriors and their loved ones who embrace gratitude and positivity amid a health journey.

Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. It's a mindset that helps people going through tough times and our SurvivorNet experts encourage cancer warriors and their loved ones to practice gratitude.

Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told SurvivorNet that his patients who live with gratitude tend to handle treatment better because this attitude is one way to stay mentally healthy.

 

WATCH: Living with gratitude.

We all know battling cancer or disease can be extremely stressful. If you're able to find things that you are grateful for can help manage the stress. Stress and anxiety can lead to physical issues, and practicing gratitude can help get both under control.

"The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with that kind of gratitude, but in terms of everything," he explained. "They're grateful, not for cancer, but they're grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite."

One way to exercise gratitude is to take time to think about things you appreciate every day. One way to exercise gratitude in your life includes writing down those things in a journal.

Coping With a Diagnosis

Smith had to deal with a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the latest season of the show because of her health. Receiving a diagnosis or experiencing a cancer scare can be extremely stressful. Your emotions can range from anger to sadness and fear. Experiencing a range of emotions is completely normal, psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says.

"The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It's also important for those you look to for support whether that's a therapist, friends, and family, or both to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions," Dr. Plutchik said.

 

WATCH: How To Manage Anxiety During High-Stress Times

If a stressful event is affecting how you think and feel, it may be time to seek some sort of mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking out a support group, or many other approaches.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you or a loved one is in the midst of a healthcare journey albeit cancer or a chronic disease, you may consider the following questions for your doctor to help direct you to resources.

• What can I do if I'm struggling to be thankful for what I have in my life?
• Are there local resources for people wishing to improve their mental health?
• What else can I do to help reduce my stress level during my cancer journey?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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