Hello Mark,
Many thanks for resurrecting this topic. Your post has reminded me that my thanks are long overdue to Clayton for his advice when a post-op urinary catheter was causing me much pain and distress. My experience pales into insignificance compared with yours, and I am so happy for you that you have reached a stage where you can sound so up-beat after such horrendous experiences. Good luck for the future.
As for me, I followed the advice that Clayton gave me on this excellent forum and went to a private consultant urologist. I asked if I could be admitted to a private hospital overnight to do another trial without catheter in the comfort of a private room with help at hand if needed. When he came back to check on me in the morning I had only about 200ml retained in the bladder. He still recommended a suprapubic catheter, but when I expressed my squeamishness and general cowardice he sent me to have my kidney function checked to see if my bladder’s habits were impacting on the kidneys. They haven’t so far, so we have agreed that I will see how it goes but will go back for a suprapubic catheter if I have further problems such as recurrent UTI’s.
Unfortunately, though, I have not recovered my health and nor can I walk unaided or use my R hand following my fall just after my cancer op. but I would have been much worse if I still had to cope with the pain of that catheter!