Generally, the second step of a two step surgery....the actual re-connection (takedown) can take place around two-three months or so after the colectomy. Not sure about the three step timeline. However, some of us choose to live with the temporary ileostomy longer than the two/three months. I waited a full year for a couple of reasons. One, it was more convenient to have the surgeries during the summer when I was off work. I was a teacher at the time. Also, I finally felt healthy with the ileostomy and I was in no hurry to venture into the unknown life of having a working J-pouch! It is now twelve years later and I am glad I made the decision to wait the full year. One, my J-pouch was well healed and secondly, I now know that if I ever wanted or needed to go back to having an ileostomy, I would not be hesitant to do so. Of course, there are some of us out there who had a one step procedure and have done quite well with it. I wasn't a candidate for having it done in one step.