Back on november 17th, i had surgery to remove a benign tumor from the lower rectum. how long will it take for the colon to fully heal and the bowel habits to return to normal??

How big was the tumor? Was it removed endoscopically or is there a skin incision? What symptoms do you have now. A couple of weeks would be long enough for you to return to baseline.

The answer to your question mostly depends on how extensive the required surgery was and what was performed. If it was performed endoscopically the answer is much different than if it was performed as an open surgery. These are all questions that you should ask of your surgeon. I would anticipate that you should be back to your new normal within a few months.