I see the surgeon Monday...

Ask her to put your in touch with a Stoma Nurse BEFORE surgery.

Your surgeon can tell you the mechanics of putting the Ostomy together but your stoma nurse is going to be your lifeline before and after surgery.

Your stoma nurse will watch you standing, walking, take into consideration the clothes you wear and will mark the best place for your stoma accordingly. If possible, as the nurse for some sample bags before surgery and wear them (maybe filled with applesauce or similar) to get a 'feel' for what to expect afterwards.

Also, before signing the consent forms, make sure you write into it that AFTER the swelling goes down, you want your stoma to be at least 1 - 2 inches long. Too many surgeons make stomas flush to the skin thinking they look better but don't think of the problems the patient will have with it afterwards. A stoma that pokes out will output stool into the bag easier than a flush stoma, where stool can seep under the wafer and often necessitate a wafer with convexity. A stoma that sticks out won't guarantee that stool won't get under the wafer (it probably will at times) but there is less chance of it happening than with a flush stoma.

Good luck.

Shaz

Everyone above has great suggestions. Here's one that will be helpful for after your surgery:

Make a list of all the things that your illness has either prevented you from doing, or has prevented you from enjoying what you like to do. Don't think too hard...just write them down quickly. After you've recovered ,try to do the things that your illness has impacted. I'll give you an example. Before my surgery I always wanted to go hot air ballooning. Talk about being as far away from a bathroom as possible.  That was one of the first things I did after my surgery. I'm sure you can think of similar things that you've wanted to do but were afraid to try.