Well, I finally got to try inserting a Foley catheter using an injection of water based, sterile lubricating jel, not containing an anesthetic. It was a bit hard to find and buy a Foley insertion kit with the jel in a syringe, rather than the usual packette, but I was eventually able to purchase one on-line at a realistic price.
The catheter I got is a single use, all silicone, size Fr 16, with a pre-connected sterile bag. I waited until my bladder was pretty full and I had an urge to pee, as would be the case for catheterization. (If your bladder isn't full, you can't really tell when the catheter has been inserted far enough. You need to see the pee flowing to verify the catheter is in far enough.)
I prepared as usual, putting on sterile gloves, cleaning the meatus with Betadine, and prepared the catheter and pee bag and connected the 10ml inflation syringe. So far all was as usual. I then took the syringe of sterile lubricating jel, removed the cap, and squeezed a bit of it and inserted the tip into my urethra. Then started injecting the lube. It went in easily and I could feel it going up my urethra and past my prostate. The feeling was a bit wierd, but not uncomfortable.
When the syringe was empty, I removed it and inserted the catheter tip. A bit of lube has oozed out but not much. The catheter slid in very easily, much more easily than a catheter that has just been dipped in lube. I advanced the catheter slowly and it went fully in without any of the usual "ouchies". The pee began to flow and I then advanced it an inch further and inflated the retention balloon, and attached the catheter to my leg.
5 minutes later, I could not feel the catheter at all. Had I not known there was one in me, I honestly could not have told you whether I was cathed or not.
It was really, really comfortable and I had a great night's sleep, without having to get up to pee even once.
The catheter stayed in about a day and this evening I sat on the toilet, deflated the Foley balloon, and slowly peed out the catheter. There was no residual "ouchies" when I first peed after the cather removal.
All in, the injection of sterile lube, without an anesthetic, makes cathing a lot of fun, almost completely without "ouchies".