If the vertebrae seem to be involved, I'd take a good look at her enclosure. It sounds more like a possible injury from something, especially since you said she's only eating frozen. Ball pythons tend to be heavy bodied so a fall could potentially cause injury. They're more ground oriented even though some do enjoy climbing and in the rainy season in the wild they do sometimes climb trees to avoid flooded burrows. If there's any tight spaces they could have possibly been caught inside, that could also be something that she may be injured herself trying to get back out of.
The only other thing I could think of is since you haven't had her long, it could have been something she was born with and it's just showing up more over time.
She most likely isn't eating because she's painful. Snakes are very stoic so sometimes they won't show any signs until it really hurts. But I also should ask, has she still been defecating and drinking?
Ball pythons aren't typically the type to brumate, especially when young. The males will sometimes go off food in the winter for breeding season but most females won't until they're of egg laying age. If she was seeming lethargic before the bump appeared, double check the temps in her enclosure as well.
Hopefully someone else can come in with some other possibilities. I'm happy that she was taken to a vet so quickly though!
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