comfort~sorry to hear you were hospitalized so long
I did have a temporary ileostomy for many years and have since had a proctocolectomy. My first ileo was due to a perforation and was reversed after 3 months but during those 3 months I a had a much better quality of life. Once I went back to my 'regular plumbing' my life slowly returned to pain and living in the bathroom. It was after about
a year that I went back to a temporary ileo and kept that for 8 years.
We are all different and respond to meds differently, too. For me, during those 8 years, medication greatly helped keep the perianal disease (I had strictures and fistulas) manageable but it did stop working at some point...that is when I decided to have a permanent ileo.
You may want to cross post this question on the ostomies forum...there are many posters who have been through this and can share their experiences!