Self Cathing- worst day ever!

I had to meet with Nurse Lady again. Her new nickname is Mistress Satan. Mistress Satan gives me a pamphlet with instructions on how to insert a catheter. She then opens a drawer on the table of doom and pulls out a little package with a catheter in it, and asks me to follow her out to the bathroom. We wash our hands and she then tells me to go on and pull my pants down and sit on the toilet like I am going to go. Really, Mistress Satan, not paper sheet of modesty this time?

Now I am sitting and she tells me to reach down there and spread em. Mistress Satan is now squatting next to me with her head a few inches away from all of the places she does not need to see. And all of the places I cannot see while sitting. She then directs me, left, right, no, back left, a little to your right, now up, oh too far…. This goes on for a good 10 minutes until I finally find where I am supposed to be with this silly tube. It doesn’t really want to go where it is supposed to go as my body does not like this new form of torture. We finally figure it out, and it is finally over.

This was not a simple process and in all honesty it has taken me weeks of practice to be able to use it without hurting myself in the process. Unfortunately, it is still a necessary evil in my life. And one that brings with it a massive amount of depression. I am 29 years old, I should not know how to do this much less rely on having to use it. It is depressing. A part of me was lost that day when I first met Mistress Satan, and I fear that part will never ever come back!

Some things I have learned: If you don’t get it on the third try, give up! The more you try and fail, the more irritated your body becomes. It then starts presenting you with lovely symptoms that closely resemble a UTI. I have also learned if you go in too far then your bladder will collapse around it mid stream and you will not only be stuck with whatever is left in there, you will also be dealing with severe cramping for hours after. I have learned not to call Mistress Satan at the first signs of a UTI or she will bring you in for more torture. I have learned that I have to psych myself up before attempting to use this device. I have learned that AZO pills work wonders for the irritation, but cause you to pee a super bright neon orange color, and this is somehow normal. I have also learned that when you are 29 years old and you are in a bathroom and you cannot get this stupid thing to go in to save your life, it is perfectly normal to burst into tears.