My 10-day headache was terminal brain cancer

A 34-year-old man with incurable brain cancer says he "might not be here" if his wife had not listened to her gut and "dragged" him to see a doctor.

Josh Smith, from Wrexham, began experiencing brain fog and headaches in January, but assumed he was "just tired".

A month later, he had 95% of a 4.5cm brain tumour removed in surgery - and says he remembers waking up craving KFC.

Every year about 3,200 people in the UK are diagnosed with a glioblastoma, according to Brain Tumour Research, but the treatment has not improved in 20 years.

The Welsh government said it was working on a cancer strategy focused on "research, innovation and improving access to clinical trials".

While his illness is terminal, Josh said keeping his sense of humour and making memories remained his top priorities, as well as raising awareness to boost brain tumour research funding.

In January, Josh started having "these weird feelings" but "thought nothing of it".

"I just thought I was tired," he recalled.

"February is when it started properly. I had a 10-day headache. I would be walking my dog with my wife or talking to my mum and dad, and I'd feel zoned out. I found out later it was mini seizures and I didn't realise. It's really scary to look back on."

On 9 February, his wife Kelly "dragged" him to see a GP, for the first time in about 12 years.

"I've always avoided it," he said.

"There's that societal expectation of 'man up' and get on with it. I was just popping paracetamol and getting early nights."

He said he would always be grateful that Kelly was so insistent.

"I could not have done any of this without her. If I had kept on ignoring it, I might not be here now."

Josh said the GP "found nothing wrong", prescribing more painkillers and referring him to an optician, where again no issue was found.

"I didn't have the greatest experience, it was quite dismissive," he said, adding the surgery had since apologised to him and been "so helpful".

Kelly, 33, added: "I knew something wasn't right. I remember saying there were red flags, but we were told there was nothing to worry about."

On 13 February, Josh wanted to go to work as normal, but Kelly once again stepped in and insisted he go to A&E at Wrexham Maelor Hospital because he was in so much pain.

"It felt like someone was pushing the back of my eyeballs outwards," he said.

"I have never felt anything like that unbelievable pain."

Though they were initially sent home with morphine, the pain continued and a CT scan the following day revealed he had a 4.5cm tumour on his brain.

"They pulled us into a side room and showed us the scan. I wasn't really upset at first, I was really shocked," said Josh.

"I thought 'maybe they have got the wrong person' or 'is there a bit of dirt on the screen?'."

Josh was referred to The Walton Centre in Liverpool where he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain tumour that carries a prognosis of 12 to 18 months - and had surgery to remove 95% of the tumour.

Just one-third of people survive this type of tumour beyond 12 months while 4% survive for five years or more, Brain Tumour Research says.

Josh, who worked as a machinist at Tritech, said he had been "working heavy machinery", completely oblivious to the danger he could have been in.

"I was driving back and forth to work too. Looking back, I could have had a seizure at any point, it could have ended really badly."

Kelly said hearing the diagnosis was "terrifying", adding: "You know something is wrong, but you never expect it to be that."

Josh said his main nerves about the surgery were about losing his sense of humour or personality, adding: "I have always liked a laugh... I wanted to come out still me, and I've managed to stay myself."

As soon as he woke up after surgery, the first thing he did was ask his wife to get him a KFC.

"On the way to the hospital, we drove past KFC so that must have been why it was in my head," he said.

"They panicked and had to get an UberEats urgently because I kept asking.

"I didn't even really like KFC before that, but I was craving it. My brother was there with me and he was upset because I ate it all and didn't offer him any."

He has since undergone radiotherapy and ongoing chemotherapy treatments at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Rhyl, Denbighshire.

But he has been told it is not curable.

"It's terminal... I'm still having chemo and I hope it's going to make that difference, but at the moment there is still a lot of uncertainty.

"Everyone has completely different symptoms and life expectancies, so I understand they can't tell me and I'm not sure I'd want to know.

"I just hope they can keep it stable. I have promised Kelly I'll get the Christmas tree out for her so she doesn't have to deal with the spiders – that's my current goal.

"No one would know that there is anything wrong with me, except I have a dodgy haircut. So far, I've been really lucky."

At the start of the year Josh and Kelly were planning campervan adventures and trying for a baby but, with their life plans now on hold, the couple are determined to make memories every day.

Josh has recently climbed Yr Wyddfa - also known as Snowdon - and also done a parkrun, gone paddleboarding, experienced being a zookeeper for the day at Chester Zoo, planted flowers in his garden and gone on many walks with his shih tzu and Maltese cross dogs, Olive and Teddy.

"We are just trying to make every day count," said Josh.

"I try and wake up early every day and make [Kelly] a coffee. It's very easy to dwell on it, you have to keep busy."

Josh said he could not thank the NHS staff he had been looked after by enough, adding the "kindness of people" in general had blown him away.

"I didn't know anything about brain tumours before this," he said. "It's amazing how many people it affects and you just don't even hear about it. I see it everywhere now."

He added the condition "doesn't discriminate", and learning children could also be affected spurred him on to share his story.

He is now backing calls for more research, "even if it just helps one person".

Josh and Kelly are supporting a campaign calling on the Welsh government to increase investment into brain tumour research.

Kelly said: "There are options and emerging treatments that give families hope, but they aren't always available here in the UK. That's incredibly frustrating."

The Welsh government said its Cancer Plan for Wales, due to be published in February 2027, would "outline the approach toward research, innovation and improving access to clinical trials so patients can benefit from new treatments".

"We are also planning a Wales Cancer Conference to bring together experts and share best practice in cancer care," it said.