Hi there
I had this surgery in March 2022. It was the best decision I ever made, as the quality and normalcy of life returned.
I too was frightened about multiple aspects of recovery. Each person's experience will have different and similar challenges. That said I did well but had to make some changes. Diet was adjusted w more frequent small portions of meals while avoiding gas producing or irritating foods. Another key to recovery was staying active, walking etc. This helped w bloating and improved strength and sense of wellbeing.
The surgeon recommended anastomosis v ileostomy. As a result, elimination was more normal. For about 6-8 months there were frequent trips to the bathroom 4-6x per day w some urgency. Now it's 2x/day wthout urgency.
With ileostomy, I was concerned about managing the bag, skin irritation, body image changes, and social/relationship concerns. With anastomosis all of this was a non issue. And knowing ileo-rectal anastomosis was available, reduced my stress considerably.
Your surgeon and nurse are best sources of info. They may also have patients who would agree to share their post recovery experience with you.
This is major surgery and will take time to recover. At the age of 68 and with other health issues, my surgery outcome is a resounding success story. Feeling so grateful as a result.
Best to you, Katherine