Good morning Linda. I had this surgery in 2004, when I was 44years old. Unfortunately, mine was done on an emergency basis, as I was septic. I had never had any episode of diverticulitis, so this came as a total surprise. The good news for you, is that you can adequately prepare for the surgery, and it will be done laproscopically. Mine was a traditional abdominal surgery. The docs removed about a foot of my colon. I was hospitalized for about 10 days following the procedure - but again, I was septic. You definitely want to handle this so you can go on living your life without this hanging over your head. I would expect that you will be released after just a few days. Total recovery should be quick because of the laparoscopic procedure. Since my surgery, my bowel function has been fine, and it’s been now been 20 years. Wishing you well and good luck.