Andrew (now 26) was 19 when he experienced a testicular torsion.
"I was working in an office at the time and I got this incredible pain very suddenly in my groin and lower abdomen one afternoon. I was absolutely doubled over - I had never experienced anything like it before, or since."
Colleagues called an ambulance and Andrew was taken to hospital. "By the time I got there, there was significant swelling on the right side of my groin and the pain was getting worse. I was told that I needed to have my appendix removed urgently."
The following day, after that operation, the swelling in his groin was still evident and he was still in considerable pain. "The swelling and the pain gradually subsided over the next few days but I was referred to a urologist who confirmed that what had actually happened was that I had a testicular torsion - the blood supply to the right testicle had been cut off and the testicle had 'died' as a result. So basically I didn't need to have my appendix removed at all. I was operated on a second time to fix the remaining testicle in place and prevent a torsion occurring in the future."
Andrew says he has felt self-conscious and suffered from low self-esteem in the years since. He also worries that a torsion might happen again. "The urologist advised me that I could get a prosthetic testicle but I didn't feel comfortable with that and I am luckily in a long- term relationship so it hasn't really been an issue. I am worried about whether I will be able to have children in the future but the urologist has told me not to worry about that - that one is just as good as two from this perspective.
"I am very mad that this happened to me and that the doctors didn't know what to do when I presented to them first. Had they operated on my testicle immediately, it might have been saved. It's important that young men get informed about torsion so that they can recognise the onset of it. You can't assume that doctors will know what they are dealing with."
Michael Kelly