Update and trying to understand anatomy.

Hi All,

I still don't have a date set for surgery. Met with the 3rd doc (urologist) who may be participating and/or rearranging some parts of me. It's still undecided whether he will do a bladder sling as long as I'm opened up and had been considered in the past. Absolutely no foreign material (mesh) will be used, all of my own tissue (they take a small band of muscle tissue from the abdominal wall). Having a couple tests done and he will also confer with a couple other specialists and stuff. (He did a bladder augment in 2006, using my appendix and part of the ilium to make the bladder larger, so my anatomy is already all goofy.)

Other 2 docs doing surgery are the colorectal surgeon (gonna do a colostomy and remove rectum), and the urogynecologist (gonna do total hysterectomy: remove uterus, cervix, tubes, ovaries). That means "surgical menopause" at age 36.

Anyway, I feel dumb for not understanding this, but I figured this is the best place to ask, cuz you all are so nice and won't laugh too hard at me.....If they are re-routing my colon to come out thru my abdomen, and removing the rectum, I'll still have the anus (not really sure what that even is, just know it's at the very end) and the opening (butthole, for lack of a better word), right? So (not that I would do this) if I or someone stuck something in the opening, where would it go? Are things closed off at a certain point? Or does it just lead into a "black hole"? I'm not sure I understand what there is after you reach the anus? A wall of tissue that gets sewn shut? How does that work?

So far I *think* I am comprehending the other things, I just don't get that part. Can't believe how much there is to learn about this stuff. Wow!

One other question...what exactly is the "wafer"? Is that the part that you cut to fit around the stoma and it sticks onto your body? Sometimes it seems like "ostomy" is the name for a whole other language.

Looking like surgery will not happen until probably early January. I guess that's ok though. Lots of time for the docs to coordinate and sort it all out, I will sort of get to enjoy the holidays (if I'm not too nauseous or in too much pain or having lots of accidents), and it gives me time to get my body in a little better shape to handle the intensity of surgery and recovery. I need to start getting better nutrition (I get enough calories, but white bread and potato buds aren't known to have lots of vitamins and minerals, etc.). Also have to deal with some pain management stuff, disc problems and stenosis and pinched nerve in neck, new pain added to my usual chronic back pain, and still searching to understand the joint pains--mostly in hands. Guess that's enough to keep me busy for now.

Thanks for your help and support. And as always, thanks for listening.

Thanks for the answers!

I do have a couple of bags and wafers (ha! I know what I'm talking about now!) that I was given to at Mayo and from the colorectal surgeon. So, at least I know what I'm looking at now. So many new terms to learn!

Not sure if I told you, but it's looking like surgery will not happen until January. Boo! But at least that gives me time to try to improve some of the chronic pain stuff going on, or at least get it under control. I can't imagine trying to move around w/ my abdomen/pelvic area being all sore plus my back and neck (and hands) being in rough shape. Not a pretty picture!

Really looking forward to surgery. The depends company is gonna go out of business after that because I won't be buying all their products to try to hide and/or control all my accidents! Gotta be excited about the little things sometimes, but to me, the thought of wearing "real" underwear every day is super exciting! I know, weirdo!!

Thanks again, will email soon.