Finally, after 2-1/2 weeks I got in to see a urologist. This guy is highly recommended. I found out later that other urologists chose to go to my urologist.

The first thing they did was remove the catheter. It was not painful at all, this time. I was either used to it or the nurse was much more experienced. I think it was the level of experience. The doctor did the usual things, digital rectal exam, ultrasonic probe up the butt. He said my prostate was about 50 grams. He prescribed a stronger antibiotic, told me to come back in a week.

He wanted me to continue wearing a catheter. He said my trouble with the catheter I had was because it was a latex catheter. He put in a silicone catheter that was a lot more flexible. It felt much better.

A week later, last Monday, I went back in. They had me do a flow test. The nurse comes in with a HUGE syringe. It was about an inch or more in diameter and about 8 inches long. She said that they need to inject me with water and see how it comes out. My first thought was "I don't want to see the needle for that syringe!" From the look on my face, she must have guessed what I was thinking. She told me that they would push the water into my bladder through my penis. Duh. She pumped me full of water until I couldn't hold any more. Not all the water came out, but enough that the doctor thought I was good to go without the catheter. Oh, boy, no more catheter. I made an appointment for the next week and left.

That appointment was first thing in the morning. Well, I urinated once that day about 3 hours later. About 3pm I started feeling that my bladder was getting full. I waited a bit longer before I knew I was not going to pee naturally that day. I hopped in my car and made a beeline to the hospital, where my doctor was located. I called on my cell on the way there, but no answer. I left a message for the nurse. I got to the hospital at about 5pm. Great. I called my urologist again. I finally got through to a snippy person who told me to just go to the ER. Damn!

The ER was full. I checked in and they said to wait. It was now about 5:15pm. I said the hell with it and walked (hobbled by this time - I was full again) to my doctor's office in the next building. They were still open, but getting ready to close for the day. The receptionist rushed me in and a doctor on call inserted a catheter. Relief again.

The picture above shows a silicone catheter sticking out of my urethra. I am not fully erect in this picture. Fully erect, my glans reaches to where my finger is holding up the catheter. OUCH!  Fortunately, I did not have too many erections. The worst were morning wood. I would wake up and try my best to think of things to get it to go down. That was not usually too difficult because it was irritating to have the end of the catheter try to enter my meatus.

The exposed end of the cathether has a fill tube, which is used to inflate a small bladder at the other end of the catheter. The inflatable bladder keeps the catheter anchored inside the bladder so it does not pull out. The exposed end of the catheter also has a drain that is sealed with a plug instead of being attached to a collection bag. The plug made wearing the catheter much more convenient. I would just tuck everything in my shorts.

When I had to urinate, I would stand over the toilet, pinch the catheter so there would be no flow, and remove the plug. I would then aim the catheter and unpinch the catheter tube. My bladder would empty in seconds. It would empty so fast that my bladder would spasm when it emptied. The spasm would almost make me double over in pain, but it last only for a split second.  If I waited too long to go to the bathroom, urine would leak out of my urethra around the catheter. That made for a real mess.