From a young age, music has been a big part of Sierra Watson’s life. In seventh grade, she started playing the bassoon. It became a passion of hers, and she decided to make it a career path, studying music for her higher education degree.
“I am now a doctoral student at Michigan State University [MSU] and a member of the MSU Bassoon Studio,” said Watson. “After high school, I decided to go to college to focus on music and got my bachelor’s degree and then I came to MSU for the master’s program and loved it so much I stayed to get my doctoral degree.”
In other words, Watson’s ability to play and practice the bassoon was a big part of who she was. So, when Watson started to notice enlarged, painful lymph nodes near her throat that weren’t going away and were affecting her playing, she decided to seek medical treatment.
“I just finished my master’s degree in the summer of 2023, and before starting my doctorate, I got a really high fever. I also started to have neck pain and light sensitivity, and it wouldn’t go away,” said Watson. “I went to the emergency department, got some medication and fluid, and started to feel better so my care team thought it was just a virus.”
Watson got better but later that year, her neck pain came back, and she noticed the lump on her neck near her collar bone.
“It was a really busy time of the year for me; I had just started my doctorate program, and the holidays were coming up with lots of performances, so I really just wanted to get through the season— but things weren’t getting any better, and I knew I had to get this checked out,” said Watson.
She had blood work and other imaging tests done that kept coming back normal, but the lump continued to grow. Her care team decided to refer her to Karmanos Cancer Institute to take a closer look at her lymphatic system.
Lymph nodes are a part of the body’s immune system and help fight off infections and diseases. Common areas where you may notice swollen lymph nodes include your neck, under your chin, in your armpits or in your groin area. When swollen, this oftentimes means the lymph nodes are helping to fight off bacteria or a virus, and eventually, they return to normal. Other times, a swollen lymph node may mean cancer. For Watson, her diagnosis came back as stage III Hodgkin lymphoma.
“Hodgkin lymphoma often has been found in young adults in their 20s and 30s, and then those in their 60s,” said Dr. Jatin Rana, a medical oncologist with MSU Health Care, who provides care at Karmanos Cancer Institute at McLaren Greater Lansing. “For younger adults, like Sierra who was 24 years old at the time, lymphoma is typically presented with an enlarged lymph node that doesn’t go down over time, or you may have discomfort or pain in that area.”
There are two types of lymphomas, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. Each type of lymphoma is treated differently. The best way to diagnose lymphoma is to have a biopsy of the lymph node to obtain tissue for examination, which will detect whether it’s lymphoma and also what type.
Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma includes several intense rounds of chemotherapy, which can sometimes be accompanied by radiation therapy.
“Hodgkin lymphoma is a lesser common diagnosis, but with treatment, it has an overall favorable prognosis and a high success rate,” said Dr. Rana.
Watson recently completed her chemotherapy in October 2024 and is feeling better, being able to get back to playing and performing. During the holiday season, Watson, joined by 11 others from the MSU Bassoon Studio, visited Karmanos Cancer Institute and McLaren Greater Lansing to perform for staff and visitors to give back for the care she received.
“I am just very thankful for the care I received and the team here at Karmanos and the support I received from my family, friends, and MSU colleagues and professors,” said Watson. “They have all been a big part of this journey, and I’m grateful.”
Watson still has some challenges ahead of her but said she is grateful for her ability to use music through the healing process.
“This whole experience has made me realize how music is a powerful healer and has helped me, and I hope to continue to use my musical ability to help others in their healing journey,” said Watson.
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