Scoliosis Surgical Patient Aspiring to be a Pediatric Nurse

Hi Everyone!

My name is Katie Senn and I am from Oakland, CA. I am a collegiate soccer player at San Diego State University majoring in kinesiology.

Since 8th grade, I have been working hard to achieve my dream of playing college level soccer. Around that same time, I began noticing my body not feeling right and was diagnosed with moderate scoliosis. I remember feeling a lot of anxiety and frustration that my back did not look like everyone else’s. To prevent the S-Curve in my spine from getting worse, I was prescribed a thick plastic corset-like brace to wear 18 hours a day during my freshman year in high school. Many days were filled with pain and discomfort from the brace squeezing and rubbing against my rib cage and waking me up with bruises on the sides of my torso. Even as challenging as it was, I remained determined to continue playing competitive soccer.

The good news at the time was that between the brace and PT exercises, my spine straightened significantly and I was able to discontinue wearing the brace. I felt really good and unstoppable. Unfortunately, a few years later during my first year in college, I began experiencing discomfort again every day, intense insecurity about my body, and was unable to walk across campus without pain. When I went in for a check up, the x-ray reflected that not only had the S curve returned, it had significantly worsened; I felt devastated. My surgeon informed me that additional curvature would continue to worsen and eventually prevent me from playing competitive soccer as well as impact the functioning of my internal organs and mobility. The only option left to stop the curve from getting worse was fusing at least ten vertebrae. It was a scary realization since I did not know anyone else who had undergone scoliosis surgery. Of the 1% of people with scoliosis, only .3-.5% undergo surgery.

After much consideration of the pros/cons and research, I decided to move forward with selective thoracic spinal fusion surgery. I underwent an eight hour complicated surgery a few months ago that resulted in a 13-inch incision down my back, twenty four screws and two metal rods attached to my spine. I had a complication during surgery and ended up in the ICU for three of the five days I spent in the hospital. I would never wish anyone the kind of pain and discomfort I experienced in my post-op recovery. I could not move or walk without assistance during my hospital stay. Do I have regrets? Absolutely not. After three months of planned exercise, healthy diet, improved sleep and breathing routines, my progress is evident and my surgeon has cleared me to run and swim again and my soccer coach is looking forward to having me back playing soccer when I am ready. This is both exciting and a huge relief!

I am filled with gratitude. My family, friends, surgical team, coaches and physical therapists have been amazing throughout the whole journey. During my recovery, I reflected on my purpose in life and so I decided to become a pediatric nurse in underserved communities. I want to be there for children who need a nurse who knows first hand what they are going through and how to help them - even during their worst days. Several medical professionals, the Stanford nursing staff and the nurses in my own family have inspired me through their empathetic, knowledgeable and warm natures - my aunts, in particular, as well as my long time Stanford Scoliosis PT. And while not a professional nurse, I can’t forget about my mom who was there every step of the way. Someday soon, I hope to care for others like they all have modeled for me and so many others.

As a next step in achieving my goal of being a pediatric nurse, I applied and was accepted into an eight week summer medical internship through the Global Health Leaders organization. Myself and a cohort of other interns will travel to the Dominican Republic for eight days to help in the medical facilities supporting families in poverty without access to simple vaccinations and resources. We will spend our time working with local medical doctors to provide essential medical care and community education. I will gain valuable hands-on experience, improve my Spanish speaking skills, and most of all, help others who lack access to medical care. I truly believe I was put on this Earth to help others. And this opportunity will not only do so, but help set me up for an Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing program after completing my Bachelors degree. I hope that you can help me achieve my goal to give back by becoming a pediatric nurse.

Thank you so much for reading and have an amazing day!

Other Information:

For more information about Global Health Leaders’ Medical Cultural Internships at: https://globalhealthleaders.net/medical-cultural-internships