Maria... sounds like you have a great surgeon, one that you believe in, and that's more than half the battle. Everything he's told you sounds right to me, i'm about three months post RC and i have a neobladder, so I can certainly relate to what you're going through (though our original plumbing is obviously different). I had almost two months between scheduling and surgery to get myself good and anxious, and I can also tell you that going in the day of surgery is the best option. My surgery took just a little over six hours, and there was very little discomfort post op... you're going to be on a morphine drip, or the equivalent, so don't be shy about pressing that little button, even if you think it's not doing anything... trust me, it is. One thing i can recommend, and i believe your doctor will agree... as soon as you can following the surgery, get up and start walking... as much as you can. My surgeon told me that my doing so was one of the reasons i recovered so well. It will be a kind of a pain at first, because you're going to be hooked up to a lot of stuff that has to go with you, but take your time, the therapists will help you and before you know it, you'll be 'doing rounds' and feeling better. The incontinence issue is something you're probably going to have to deal with... i'm not familiar with the frequency it affects women, but I can tell you that in my case, daytime usually goes just fine. Nights can get a little damp, but as I always say, it beats being dead. They'll be taking lymph nodes as they go, and sending them to pathology even while you're on the table, so they'll be able to give you a report fairly soon, and the surgeon will probably give you his visual impression when you come out of the anasthesia. If you can think of any other questions, don't hesitate to ask, and try to relax. sounds like you're in very good hands. I wish you all the best and may your margins be perfect so you can kiss the chemo goodbye permanently! mark
