Lung Cancer Survivor Story: Stephen Shares How He Got Diagnosed (Pt.1/3) | The Patient Story
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2026 5:36 am
Hi everyone, Stephanie here with The Patient Story. I’m thrilled to introduce today’s guest, Stephen Huff, whom I was fortunate to meet on social media. Stephen, thank you for joining us to share your story about being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Stephen shared that it’s an honor to be here and to join as a fellow survivor, and he’s excited to contribute to the conversation.
While the focus of these conversations is often on cancer journeys, Stephen is much more than his diagnosis. He grew up in Middle Tennessee, where sports played a central role in his life. He played baseball his entire life, competed at the college level, and was even drafted by the Chicago White Sox. Through sports, he developed important life skills such as work ethic, persistence, and discipline—tools he carried into adulthood.
Stephen currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee, in the Nashville area, where he and his wife have started their family. He shared that he has lived in about 15 different states due to his sports and career journey, but Tennessee is now home. He described the area as a great place to live and plans to remain there with his family.
The conversation then shifts to how he first realized something was wrong. After his college baseball career ended around 2013–2014, Stephen transitioned into “normal life,” including work and graduate school. During this time, he assumed that changes like weight gain and getting out of breath were normal.
In 2015, while student teaching and coaching baseball in Carrollton, Georgia, he began experiencing shortness of breath. Because of his life circumstances, he attributed these symptoms to allergies or normal life changes. Looking back, he recognizes this as the first sign that something was wrong.
Over time, his symptoms persisted and gradually worsened. He learned to manage them and even “code” around them, but eventually developed wheezing, especially when lying down at night. He described the sensation as feeling like fluid in his chest. This continued for about a year to a year and a half until his wife, Emily, urged him to see a doctor because the symptoms were now affecting both of their sleep and daily life.
At that point, he went to a walk-in clinic rather than his primary care physician, since his scheduled appointment was many months away. He reported breathing issues and wheezing, and a chest X-ray led to a diagnosis of bronchitis. He was prescribed antibiotics, but he felt something was not right and continued seeking answers.
A few weeks later, he visited an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. During the physical exam, the physician discovered a hard nodule above his collarbone, which was a significant warning sign. However, follow-up imaging still suggested pneumonia, despite ongoing symptoms.
Concerned, Stephen pushed for further testing. An ultrasound was performed but was inconclusive. This led to approval for a CT scan, which ultimately revealed multiple suspicious areas in his chest, abdomen, neck, and pelvis. This marked a major turning point in his journey.
At the time, Stephen had just finished his first year as a teacher and was beginning his summer break—a moment he described as being “on cloud nine.” Receiving these results the day after the school year ended felt like a sudden and traumatic shift, described as a “black cloud” over his life.
He was referred to an oncologist after the ultrasound findings, though at that point, everything was still uncertain. The CT scan results led to a core needle biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. The biopsy and additional testing were completed in late May, and on June 1, 2017, he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer—specifically adenocarcinoma of the lung.
Stephen described receiving the CT scan results as a pivotal moment. He was at a restaurant when he received a call from the doctor stating that the scan was “not good” and appeared consistent with cancer. He was instructed to come in immediately. When filling out paperwork, he noticed a question about having a living will, which made the reality of the situation fully sink in.
The waiting period between tests was one of the most difficult parts of his experience. He underwent biomarker and genomic testing, which took about 7–10 days. During that time, he struggled with anxiety, sleep, and the overwhelming uncertainty of not knowing what he was facing. He also described how hearing that you are sick can sometimes make you feel physically worse.
When he returned for his diagnosis, he recalled that the conversation about treatment options felt overwhelming, and much of it was difficult to remember afterward due to the emotional weight of the moment. He described cancer as something people are not equipped to handle, which adds to the difficulty.
Stephen also shared how he coped emotionally during this time. While he appeared strong to others, internally he was struggling with fear and uncertainty, even thinking he might die soon. He found this especially difficult because, throughout his life, effort and hard work had always led to success—something that cancer did not allow him to control.
He experienced a progression of emotions, including denial, followed by sadness and self-pity. The three weeks between diagnosis and starting treatment were particularly difficult, and he described this as one of the hardest periods of his life.
Stephen and his wife decided to share the diagnosis with close family relatively early, including parents and in-laws. They waited about a week before telling extended family and friends, allowing themselves time to process the news first.
He advised others to share on their own terms, emphasizing the importance of taking time to think about how and when to communicate such news. He found it helpful to personally call people rather than respond to incoming messages, as it gave him more control over the conversation.
Regarding testing, Stephen explained that his diagnosis involved both imaging and biopsy procedures. The core needle biopsy was performed by an interventional radiologist and involved extracting tissue from a lymph node. This allowed doctors to determine not only whether cancer was present, but also what type and what mutations it had.
He also underwent extensive staging, including PET scans and multiple MRI scans covering the head, neck, and spine. The MRI process was lengthy and involved multiple sessions, each lasting around 15 minutes per section, repeated with and without contrast.
Ultimately, his testing revealed that he had an ALK-positive mutation, which is found in about 5% of non-small cell lung cancer cases. While this initially worried him due to its rarity, he later learned that there are effective targeted therapies available for this mutation, which gave him a sense of hope early in his journey.
During this time, he also had a port placed in preparation for treatment, as chemotherapy was anticipated. He emphasized that the process involved many tests and steps, and not just a single diagnosis moment.
To cope with the emotional strain and waiting periods, Stephen advised staying mentally and physically active. He found that idle time increased anxiety, so he focused on activities like walking, hiking, and spending time with his wife to help keep his mind occupied and reduce stress.
This concludes the portion of Stephen’s story focused on diagnosis, symptoms, and early experiences.
Stephen shared that it’s an honor to be here and to join as a fellow survivor, and he’s excited to contribute to the conversation.
While the focus of these conversations is often on cancer journeys, Stephen is much more than his diagnosis. He grew up in Middle Tennessee, where sports played a central role in his life. He played baseball his entire life, competed at the college level, and was even drafted by the Chicago White Sox. Through sports, he developed important life skills such as work ethic, persistence, and discipline—tools he carried into adulthood.
Stephen currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee, in the Nashville area, where he and his wife have started their family. He shared that he has lived in about 15 different states due to his sports and career journey, but Tennessee is now home. He described the area as a great place to live and plans to remain there with his family.
The conversation then shifts to how he first realized something was wrong. After his college baseball career ended around 2013–2014, Stephen transitioned into “normal life,” including work and graduate school. During this time, he assumed that changes like weight gain and getting out of breath were normal.
In 2015, while student teaching and coaching baseball in Carrollton, Georgia, he began experiencing shortness of breath. Because of his life circumstances, he attributed these symptoms to allergies or normal life changes. Looking back, he recognizes this as the first sign that something was wrong.
Over time, his symptoms persisted and gradually worsened. He learned to manage them and even “code” around them, but eventually developed wheezing, especially when lying down at night. He described the sensation as feeling like fluid in his chest. This continued for about a year to a year and a half until his wife, Emily, urged him to see a doctor because the symptoms were now affecting both of their sleep and daily life.
At that point, he went to a walk-in clinic rather than his primary care physician, since his scheduled appointment was many months away. He reported breathing issues and wheezing, and a chest X-ray led to a diagnosis of bronchitis. He was prescribed antibiotics, but he felt something was not right and continued seeking answers.
A few weeks later, he visited an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. During the physical exam, the physician discovered a hard nodule above his collarbone, which was a significant warning sign. However, follow-up imaging still suggested pneumonia, despite ongoing symptoms.
Concerned, Stephen pushed for further testing. An ultrasound was performed but was inconclusive. This led to approval for a CT scan, which ultimately revealed multiple suspicious areas in his chest, abdomen, neck, and pelvis. This marked a major turning point in his journey.
At the time, Stephen had just finished his first year as a teacher and was beginning his summer break—a moment he described as being “on cloud nine.” Receiving these results the day after the school year ended felt like a sudden and traumatic shift, described as a “black cloud” over his life.
He was referred to an oncologist after the ultrasound findings, though at that point, everything was still uncertain. The CT scan results led to a core needle biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. The biopsy and additional testing were completed in late May, and on June 1, 2017, he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer—specifically adenocarcinoma of the lung.
Stephen described receiving the CT scan results as a pivotal moment. He was at a restaurant when he received a call from the doctor stating that the scan was “not good” and appeared consistent with cancer. He was instructed to come in immediately. When filling out paperwork, he noticed a question about having a living will, which made the reality of the situation fully sink in.
The waiting period between tests was one of the most difficult parts of his experience. He underwent biomarker and genomic testing, which took about 7–10 days. During that time, he struggled with anxiety, sleep, and the overwhelming uncertainty of not knowing what he was facing. He also described how hearing that you are sick can sometimes make you feel physically worse.
When he returned for his diagnosis, he recalled that the conversation about treatment options felt overwhelming, and much of it was difficult to remember afterward due to the emotional weight of the moment. He described cancer as something people are not equipped to handle, which adds to the difficulty.
Stephen also shared how he coped emotionally during this time. While he appeared strong to others, internally he was struggling with fear and uncertainty, even thinking he might die soon. He found this especially difficult because, throughout his life, effort and hard work had always led to success—something that cancer did not allow him to control.
He experienced a progression of emotions, including denial, followed by sadness and self-pity. The three weeks between diagnosis and starting treatment were particularly difficult, and he described this as one of the hardest periods of his life.
Stephen and his wife decided to share the diagnosis with close family relatively early, including parents and in-laws. They waited about a week before telling extended family and friends, allowing themselves time to process the news first.
He advised others to share on their own terms, emphasizing the importance of taking time to think about how and when to communicate such news. He found it helpful to personally call people rather than respond to incoming messages, as it gave him more control over the conversation.
Regarding testing, Stephen explained that his diagnosis involved both imaging and biopsy procedures. The core needle biopsy was performed by an interventional radiologist and involved extracting tissue from a lymph node. This allowed doctors to determine not only whether cancer was present, but also what type and what mutations it had.
He also underwent extensive staging, including PET scans and multiple MRI scans covering the head, neck, and spine. The MRI process was lengthy and involved multiple sessions, each lasting around 15 minutes per section, repeated with and without contrast.
Ultimately, his testing revealed that he had an ALK-positive mutation, which is found in about 5% of non-small cell lung cancer cases. While this initially worried him due to its rarity, he later learned that there are effective targeted therapies available for this mutation, which gave him a sense of hope early in his journey.
During this time, he also had a port placed in preparation for treatment, as chemotherapy was anticipated. He emphasized that the process involved many tests and steps, and not just a single diagnosis moment.
To cope with the emotional strain and waiting periods, Stephen advised staying mentally and physically active. He found that idle time increased anxiety, so he focused on activities like walking, hiking, and spending time with his wife to help keep his mind occupied and reduce stress.
This concludes the portion of Stephen’s story focused on diagnosis, symptoms, and early experiences.