Tipperary hurler Noel McGrath has told RTÉ's Second Captains Live about the circumstances of his testicular cancer diagnosis at just 24 years of age and urged Irish men to see a doctor if they had any health fears.
The Loughmore-Castleiney man underwent surgery in April, just four days after being diagnosed.
He recovered in time to receive a standing ovation at Croke Park when he came on as a late sub in Tipp's All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway in August.
"It [having cancer] would never even have crossed my mind up until this year," the two-time All-Star admitted. "Since then, I've heard a lot that Irish men don't like talking about things like that.
"The Movember campaign is something that tries to highlight that and they're doing a lot of good work for the last few years.
"They're raising a lot of money to help make people aware that it is okay to speak up. It's your health and if you don't look after yourself nobody else is going to do it for you."
"I suppose lads were going to find out anyway, so I just wanted to let them know, I just threw it up on the Whatsapp group"
McGrath said that he first suspected something was wrong while training with Tipperary but delayed seeking medical attention straight away in the hope that the pain would pass.
"We were on a training camp with Tipp, out in Spain. Going out there, I knew I wasn't fully right and ended up spending a few days in bed actually sick out there," he said.
"At the back of my head, I knew I wasn't fully right. I knew when I got back that I had to see a doctor.
"I knew for two or three weeks that there wasn't something fully right. You're just hoping that you got hit in training or maybe you got a belt but the longer it was there, I knew something wasn't right. Thankfully I got looked after very well.
"I suppose you're just afraid. You don't want to hear if there's something wrong with you. I was the same as anyone else. I've heard of people that have gone longer than two or three weeks and gone a year.
"You don't know what's going to happen. Thankfully I did go, because you don't know what's going to happen down the line."
The 2010 Young Hurler of the Year said that the support of friends and family was vital in dealing with the shocking news.
"I was just gutted. All thoughts are just going through your head. You don't know if you're coming or going. But there were good people around me. The family at home, a good lot of friends as well. It was good to have them around because they give you a bit of support.
"I got a lot of texts and phone calls. It does help but at the end of the day you just have to try to get your head around and get through it as best you can."
McGrath also revealed how he broke the news to his family, friends and team-mates.
"I just came into the kitchen at home and the mother wasn't expecting anything. So to land this on her, she was shocked. Like the rest of them were when they heard.
"They just helped me through it and we got on with it together. I was helped through it very much by them and I was very grateful to have them around me.
"It was on a Monday when I found out. I rang a few of my close friends from Loughmore, just to have a chat and let them know. On the Tuesday texted a few more, let a few lads know.
"We were training on the Wednesday night with Tipp. On Tuesday, I suppose lads were going to find out anyway, so I just wanted to let them know, I just threw it up on the [team] Whatsapp group.
"Plenty of the boys texted back and rang back with well wishes. They were there for most of the journey along, the club lads and the Tipp lads as well."
Watch the full interview below or on the RTÉ Player App
