Teen Loses Testicle After Bending To Retrieve Golf Ball

A teenager's round of golf was interrupted by the worst possible thing: testicular trauma.

According to an article in the journal Urology Case Reports (which I'm sure you have the latest issue of on your coffee table right now) it happened to a 16-year-old from Utah.

He had just sunk a putt and did what anyone does and bends down to retrieve his ball. However, it was at this point that a serious problem emerged.

The report says that the youngster felt acute pain in his groin. That's never good. You never want that. Then, upon taking inventory of his testicles, he realized that he came up short by one.

As any of us would do in a situation like this, the teen was rushed to a hospital to a hospital in nearby Salt Lake City for treatment. There, doctors reported that he was suffering “ongoing mild abdominal pain with persistent nausea.”

Yup. That sounds about right.

In fact, I'm starting to feel some of that persistent nausea right now just hearing the story.

Testicular trauma is no laughing matter. (Getty Images)

The Kid Suffered From A Preexisting Condition

As it turns out, there was an explanation for what this kid was suffering from. His testicle that made a run for it was still in his body (thank God), however, it returned from whence it came.

It had retracted into the canal between the scrotum and abdomen. This is known as testicular ascent. This particular patient had suffered from something called retractile left testis. That's when the testicle can't make up its mind as to where it wants to stay and just comes and goes as it pleases like a terrible roommate.

I think I speak for most fellas when I say that I use a significant portion of my brain trying to avoid the top of trauma that befell this poor kid in Utah. Like, I'm careful about getting on and off bicycles and am wary of anything traveling at medium to high speeds just below belt height.

That's what's so frightening about this story. The kid was just playing golf and suffered a TTI, a traumatic testicle injury.

At least in my case, I suck at golf.

I'd be more concerned if he hurt himself trying to fish a golf ball out of the water or hitting one out of the woods.

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