When gymnastics club owner Marie Ward found a "dent" in her left breast while having a shower, she immediately booked an appointment with her GP.
Following closer examination by the doctor, the mum-of-two was urgently referred for an ultrasound and biopsy before being given the devastating news that she had cancer.
"I knew straight away it wasn't good news when the nurse's face changed and she started stroking my arm," said Marie, recalling the events of May 2020.
"They then sent me for a second mammogram and a second biopsy and found more tumours."
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Marie, from Caerphilly, was told she had stage four cancer following an MRI which detected tumours in her liver. The news came as a huge shock to the 40-year-old.
"All I could think about was my four-year-old and my eight-year-old. When you're given the news you think you're going to die. I thought: 'how's my husband going to cope?' 'How are my kids going to cope?'"
Marie started chemotherapy in June 2020 and had to go through treatment alone due to coronavirus restrictions prohibiting visitors from entering hospitals.
Unfortunately, she didn't react well to chemotherapy and spent a week at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.
"I had an infection and it triggered the alarm for sepsis so I was put on strong antibiotics," she added.
And her health worries didn't stop there. "I was having my last round of chemo when I developed chest pains," she said.
The situation became critical when Marie was at home and started vomiting blood. Her husband called an ambulance and she was sent to The Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran before having lifesaving surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff.
"I nearly died a few times. I was at the Heath (UHW) when they did some X-rays which showed I had two holes in my intestinal artery. That's why I felt so ill."
Fast forward to January 2021 and Marie started taking cancer drug herceptin. She also had a single mastectomy, lymph node clearance and 15 rounds of radiotherapy.
Amazingly, Marie's most recent scans have detected no tumours in her liver.
"My friend who is a radiographer did the scan and she couldn't find any signs of a tumour. A second scan was also clear so I am really pleased," she added.
"However, I am trying to be pragmatic about the situation but at the moment I'm feeling good and I'm determined to life to the full."
Marie said she is now busy planning an exciting 2022 with Islwyn Gymnastics Club in Cwmfelinfach which she owns.
The club is going from strength to strength and there's a possibility three of her members will compete at the British Championships which could lead to them representing Team GB in the future.
"Going through cancer and all the disruption with Covid has definitely changed me," said Marie. "I'm not as angry as I was. I'm genuinely grateful to be alive.
"And I love my job - I really do. We are hoping to go to Italy in July for training before a competition in Germany which I'm really looking forward to. Cancer has taught me if you have a dream, live it."
Marie hopes that sharing her story will inspire others to play a part in the fight against the disease. She also praised the Welsh NHS for how quickly she was seen in the first place.
"It was during the first lockdown, so I was nervous about getting appointment, but I was seen straight away. Normally I wouldn't tell the receptionist why I needed an appointment, but I was a bit panicked and said: 'I think there's a lump in my breast'.
"Half an hour later the doctor phoned me and asked how quickly I could get there. Ten minutes later the doctor saw me, examined me and said she could feel something. She urgently referred me to the breast clinic and I had an ultrasound and a biopsy."
She added: "So many lives are touched by cancer and, following the impact of the pandemic, it's as urgent an issue now as it's ever been. New discoveries and breakthroughs are crucial to help save lives in the future."
Marie is now backing Cancer Research UK's World Cancer Day campaign in Wales. She is encouraging everyone to raise money for life-saving research by donating and wearing a Cancer Research UK unity band on Friday, February 4, which also marks the charity's 20th anniversary.
She said: "I want everyone in Wales to get one of Cancer Research UK's unity bands. Wearing one is such a simple way to show solidarity with people affected by the disease, whilst also raising vital funds."
Available in three different colours - pink, navy and blue - a unity band can be worn in memory of a loved one, to celebrate people who have overcome cancer or in support of those going through treatment.
In Wales, around 19,600 people are diagnosed with cancer every year.
Ruth Amies, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Wales, said: "As we mark our anniversary this World Cancer Day, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to Marie and people across Wales for their incredible commitment to the cause.
"Thanks to our supporters, we've achieved so much. Every day we see the benefits of research we've previously funded being realised, helping people live longer and healthier lives.
"One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime, and so we will never stop striving to create better treatments for tomorrow. That's why we hope everyone will wear a unity band with pride - knowing they are helping to save and improve lives for generations to come. We've come so far. And we will go much further. Together we will beat cancer."
Unity bands are available in Cancer Research UK shops and online at cruk.org/worldcancerday for a suggested donation of £2.
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