Hi Amy
Well, I have just been through that surgery 2 weeks ago (16 days to be precise).
I just drove for a couple of hours now... and went to do some errands...
I won't say its a picnic, because I was in a very difficult state before the surgery, but overall I can't complain.
I spoke on the phone with my family a few hours after the surgery. Was out of bed 2 days after and working on my laptop, and released from hospital on day 8.
The worst part - the hospital bed wasn't very comfortable and having to lie on one's back for prolonged periods hurt my skinny back. With hindsight, I would have taken a comfortable mattress overlay or pillow with me.
They give you a morphine pump so you can use as much as you need. The worst pain though wasn't from the surgery, it was from a couple of staples that were sitting on a nerve. Since those were taken out this week, I am in slight discomfort here and there, but compared to the Crohn's pain I had before its nothing.
Getting used to being "different" and wearing a bag is probably the most difficult part for me emotionally. But logically - I am spending less time dealing with that than I was spending in the toilet before the surgery.
It takes a few days for the bowels to start working after the surgery - the surgeon told me to chew chewing gum - helps start the bowels - there are many studies supporting this - so that was good tip. And once the bowels start working, there are some colicky pains for a couple of days, so if they offer you anti-spasmodic drugs for those - take them. It does provide relief. After a couple of days, it normalizes.
Take a comfortable pillow to sit on, as the backside heals. Once they take out the stitches there (about 2 weeks), you shouldn't feel anything.
Good luck!