Hi @lapg22 , I have not had the surgery yet--but I feel fairly committed to scheduling it. I seem to have a flareup every month or two--they are getting closer together, and more painful. I have a phone appointment with the surgeon in a couple of weeks.
I took another look at the comments here on Mayo, and I have decided that many of them are from people who are on the mend. A lot of the people who are having problematic outcomes have other underlying medical issues. I am feeling that I will do OK.
Be sure and ask your surgeon how many sigmoidectomies they have performed, and how many have experienced complications. Bring up the complications that concern you, and ask for clarity. That's what I intend to do when I finally get him on the phone. If you are relatively healthy, it should go OK. You will need time off, for sure.

I had a resection of 1 foot of my colon 2 years ago. It worked out well . Yes you will gradually be able to manage a normal diet.

Re running the the bathroom. You won’t be released until your Dr is assured that your system is working normally

Wishing you success

I had my colon resection surgery on Sept 28th of this year, and it went very well. I am a very healthy 71 year old woman. A foot of my colon was removed laparoscopically due to a cancerous polyp that was found in a routine colonoscopy. I was in the hospital for four days...a little longer than normal I understand, but I live two hours from the hospital, and my surgeon wanted to make sure all was well. The first day after surgery was not bad, as the nerve blocks had not quite worn off yet. The second and third days were a bit difficult. You might expect diarrhea those days with a bloody look to it. Scared me, but normal after surgery. I watched my diet for two weeks after, until I was given the ok to go back to normal after my follow up appt. I was told to be very careful about lifting for six weeks. I work full time in sales and interior design, so I had your same concerns. I was back to work two weeks after surgery, and I found out that a teaspoon of psyllium in 8 oz of water daily solved my problems. I wish you the very best.

@lapg22
I had a large tumor in my sigmoid and upper part of my rectum, it was found in February. I had a very short course of radiation then surgery, where I had a lower anterior resection. And an ileostomy for 6 months. At the end of September I had the ileostomy reversed and after 2 nights in the hospital (and moving my bowels) I went home.
Please don’t be worried by what you read here and other online sources. I felt the same way - scared- and then I realized that only the people with problems usually post online. That’s a very small section of those who’ve had this surgery!
I am almost 8 weeks past my surgery, and it’s wonderful (finally!)
I take Immodium every morning, and I tsp. of Metamucil in a bit of water after I eat. Right after the surgery I had a few accidents, but I bought some Depends and just let my body relearn the new plumbing.
I’m finally going back to work in 2 weeks!
Don’t worry, you’ll do great. And feel SO much better afterwards.

@lapg22, I hope you've seen the helpful posts from @eyeart @patriotspride @fisch @sgbisrat @cjay and @paul28. Cjay is right that people who do not have complications do not post in online forums as often. They get on living life.

There is no doubt a recovery period for which you should be prepared and informed. Talk to your surgeon about the recovery period and what YOU can expect. Your surgeon who knows your health status, age, medical history, etc. will be able to discuss with you what your recovery will likely look like.

It sounds like you are a busy, healthy woman. Being physically fit helps too. Is regular physical activity part of your regular routine?