In my teen years I catherized myself quite a few times with a what I guess to be a 20Fr colon tube. Open end one side eyelet. I used vasoline for lubrication. I don't remember any real pain doing it, but urination for about 12 hours sure was painful!. How I never got an infection I'll never know.
Through adulthood I cathed myself several times when ever I could get my hands on a catheter. By then I knew enough to be afraid I could get an infection.
Forward to three years ago. I started having some blood in my urine and constant UTIs.I also noticed a very small lesion on the head of my penis. My PCP made an appointment with a urologist.
At the urologist appointment, he suspected penile cancer. Sent me for a CT scan with and without contrast. And scheduled me for a hospital cystiscopey and a biopsy under anesthesia.
After the cystiscopey and biopsy I was released with a 20Fr catheter and leg bag for three days. Monday morning his Nirse Practichenr, a young lady, removed the catheter which also had the dressing for the biopsy. She was so good at removing the catheter that I didn't even realize it was out. I then went home drank a lot of water and had no issue or pain passing urin.
The biopsy was positive for cancer and I was scheduled for surgery at a major cancer center. They performed a partial Penectomy, which in my case left no pins, only the stump or internal part of the penis. They also did a Perinial urethostomy. Brought the urethra down to an opening behind the testicals. Came home the next day with a catheter.
Again no problem with the catheter or pain from the pienctomy. But the surgery between the legs was very painful and had complications with stitches coming loose.
Next the pathology came back stage 3 cancer and the doctor talked me into removing inguinal lyphnodes for testing.
5 weeks after the pinectomy I was scheduled for surgery and removal of the catheter the next day after surgery
I had the Robatically assisted 8.5 hour surgery and the next day the nurse removed the catheter. Easy removal no pain . Again I drank a bunch of water and had some small urin flow but nothing like normal.
That night I couldn't pass any urin and was getting a bit uncomfortable. I called the nurse. Naturally she said we need to catherize you but I have never catherized a person with a urostomy. I'm going to get the emergency urologist to do it.
About a half hour later the doctor and nurse came in. The doctor explained that he was going to catherize me with a 20Fr folly catheter and while it's in they would flush out my bladder incase there were any blood clots blocking the flow. If not they would remove the catheter and see what happens.
They got things ready and he explained the procedure to the young nurse. He did the caterization. This was the first time someone cathed me while I was awake. The doctor put it in quickly with no numbing gell and absolutely no pain. The only thing was the strange almost orgasmic feeling when it went through my swollen prostate. It was a memorable feeling. I'm sure I winced a bit but there wasn't any pain. He then used a large syringe to push saline into my bladder then pumped it in an out with the syringe he filled me back up close to full before allowing it all to drain. Everything was clear so he removed the catheter. I finally got a decent bit of sleep.
The next day was peeing a little bit every hour. I was miserable. They were checking me often with ultrasound for retention, I wss constantly retaining 40ML or more. That night I called the nurse around 11PM they work 12 hour shifts 6PM to 6AM the same nurse was on duty. I asked her if she could catherize me so that I could get some sleep.
She came back in with a 14Fr Streight catheter and drained me. Again total relief.
The next day they released me and sent me home with a bunch of streight catheter kits and other supplies. It turned out the Urostomy failed and I now urinate through my stump which they were trying to avoid. That has some hygiene issues but that is easily handled.
After about 6 months post surgery my flow started to slow. Not wanting to have more surgery, my PCP an old school get it done doctor, recommend self cathing once a day with a larger catheter to keep the scar tissue open. So for the past couple years that's what I do almost daily. No problems no pain just a bit of time out of my day.