Tipp hurler Noel McGrath gave his first television interview since his diagnosis and subsequent recovery from testicular cancer with an appearance on Second Captains Live on RTÉ.
McGrath, now working with the Movember Foundation, found out that he had testicular cancer back in April.
We were on a training camp with Tipp, out in Spain. Going out there, I knew I wasn't full right and ended up spending a few days in bed actually sick out there. At the back of my head, I knew I wasn't full right. I knew when I got back that I had to see a doctor. The rest, as they say, is history from there.
I knew for two or three weeks that there wasn't some full 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.
Initially, the 24-year-old was hesitant to seek help.
I suppose you're just afraid. You don't want to hear that there's something wrong with you and 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, because you don't know what's going to happen down the line.
But three weeks after realising something was wrong, he finally went to a doctor.
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, the friends at home. It was good to have them around because they give you support.
His family reaction was, of course, one of shock.
I just came into the kitchen at home and the mother wasn't expecting anything. So to land this on her, she was shocked. They just helped me through it and we got on with it together.
Just a day after being diagnosed, McGrath let his Tipp teammates know about his situation via Whatsapp.
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 text a few more, let them 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 Whatsapp group. It's the easiest way to do it, if you're trying to contact anyone these days.
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 aswell.
