Hi, Leeroy,
I have had my neobladder since 2017, so I will go off of my memories. I know there are a lot of questions that go through your mind. The surgery is not too bad but it was an 8.5 hour surgery. Practice doing the Kegels now so you are used to doing it after the surgery, that is key to gaining control of your new bladder. You will have to self catheterize yourself until you are able to completely empty the bladder on your own. It is really not that painful and I only had to do it for a couple of weeks after the surgery. I have read that some people still have to use a catheter once in a while but I have not had to do since 2017.
As far as the mucus is concerned, I still have mucus do this day but it is not as bad as it was when I first started. At night, initially, you will want to set an alarm for every two or three hours to wake up and empty the bladder. Keep in mind you will have "accidents" during the night so be prepared for it but don't let that discourage you in any way. It does get better as time goes on. I am at the point now where I feel a slight burning sensation in my abdomen during the night so I wake up and empty. Some nights it is only once others it is two or three depending on how much liquids I drank during the evening.
When you wake up from the surgery it is very scary, you will have tubes coming out of your abdomen and a catheter but it is only temporary (my last tube was removed within three weeks of the surgery).
Here is my best advice for a speedy recovery. Make sure you are in good shape before the surgery. I walked every day before the surgery, almost a speed walking. The day after my surgery I started walking down the halls of Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia (that is where I had my surgery done at). I walked four or fives times a day while I was there because I wanted to spend as little time in there as possible (I was only in the hospital for seven days).
When you go home you will probably have to give yourself a Lovonox shot in the stomach for 21 days to prevent blood clots, which to me was the scariest part of the whole thing but I easily got used to doing it. As for electing to do the neobladder, it was the best decision for me. I am 62 years old and very active. I love to go on vacations to where ever there is a beach so having a tube coming out my abdomen was not an option. I am alive and only have to see my doctor once a year.