@ken17, I pulled your question into a discussion of its own so that members like @mscheib2 @sue225 @ggarrepy @katydid77 @spooz2 and others can share their experiences and tips for what to expect with an open cystectomy with ileal conduit.

You might also appreciate this discussion that @sue225 wrote back when her husband has the same surgery.
- Radical Cystectomy: Would like to hear the experiences of others https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/radical-cystectomy/

Ken, when is your surgery?