I actually put up a rather big fuss about being willing to do anything to keep it for more religious purposes than anything else. It just feels wrong knowing that it was taken from me and ultimately ended up being incinerated with a bunch of other human parts and tossed in the garbage. They told me that they were not able to give it back to me no matter what. I asked if there was any other way to go about getting it back for religious purposes and they said that there wasn't and that if I wanted the surgery I agreed to allow the rib to go to pathology then be incinerated. They did assure me, however, that it would be treated "with respect like human remains and not like garbage." Whatever that means. It all ultimately ends up in the same place.