Doydie, the surgery to create the ostomy was an emergency and I was pretty sick. My body had a lot of fighting and healing to do. It took me about 3 months to get through that. My 2nd surgery was complicated by post-op infections as well as C. Diff. That took me a while to work through. I am doing much better now. From what I understand from others who did not have a perforated colon/infection(s), such as those with ulcerative colitis, the recovery was much quicker. Some had gone back to work at 3 weeks! That's pretty impressive for such a major surgery.

An WOCN is a Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nurse. I think it's the same as the nurse you will be seeing. They are great and so helpful. I went to one a few months a few months after my surgery as the leaks were tearing my skin up. I was a mess. She had lots of ideas and tips and we came up with a routine that worked well for me.