That's what I was wondering. I only use a leg bag when they give me antibiotics, which has been seldom lately. I have a Foley 24/7 without a leg bag and go when I feel the urge. They change it for a new one every two months. I only hook up to a bag at night. I might try stopping this too for a night to see what happens. One night I woke the hell up and felt kind of weird. I dozed off to sleep without opening the valve. So nothing was going out. Maybe that's a good sign? I don't know, but I wanna be kind to my kidneys.
So you were not controlling anything for 18 months. I wonder why they didn't have you go without a leg bag. You only had BPH, right? So the Foley helps you pee when you feel the urge.
I hope your symptoms calm and you regain control to feel confident. Please keep me / us informed. What you're explaining is making more sense to this puzzle. Although, I won't dismiss nervous or overactive bladder. I was "pee shy" and had painful urges from out of nowhere. I also had cystitis and that was no fun, it made it worse. Stay in touch!