Super-fit James Smith said he always thought of himself as physically invincible. So when he was told he had testicular cancer at the age of just 28 he admitted it felt like his body had let him down.
In October last year he said he felt a dull ache and his wife Georgia, who he'd married just three months earlier, urged him to go to the GP to get it checked out. Within eight hours of seeing a doctor he received the life-changing diagnosis.
"It all happened really fast," he recalled. "It sounds cliché but it really can happen to anyone. I just knew I had to face it - I had no other choice."
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James, who works as a teacher and plays rugby in his spare time, said the cancer diagnosis was a huge shock to him, his close friends and his family. "It came out of the blue. I had no idea what to do, what to think or where to go. It was a very shocking thing to have to hear from a doctor," he said.
In November 2021 James underwent an operation to remove the cancerous testicle, but following a biopsy medics decided that he would also require a two-week intensive course of chemotherapy. "The nurses and doctors in the NHS were absolutely incredible, I couldn't fault any of them," he added. "You hear about chemotherapy being quite tough, and it was, but I think due to the support I had from family, friends and my wife, it was bearable."
On St David's Day this year James, 29, from Abergavenny, was given the all-clear which was a huge weight off his shoulders. "I felt free again. I was back running and training and I completed an Ironman four months after my all-clear," he added.
James has shared his story to mark Men's Health Month and has urged men to get checked if they notice anything unusual. "Without the support of my family and friends that I leaned on I don't know how I would have got through this. I cannot urge men enough to get checked out if they feel anything unusual - get to know what your normal feels like. It could save your life.
"If you've been diagnosed with testicular cancer it's very treatable. It's one of the most treatable cancers out there."
Louise Broadway, urology cancer nurse specialist at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: "Typical symptoms are a painless swelling or lump in one of the testicles, or any change in shape or texture of the testicles. It's important to be aware of what feels normal for you. Get to know your body and see a GP if you notice any changes."
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