I have had my ostomy for 20 years now as a result of Crohn's Disease. I hike, scuba dive, swim on a Masters Swim team, go to the gym, eat at restaurants, and just... normal life.

It takes a while to adapt and heal up, and different people have different experiences in how long it takes. Be patient, make sure your talk with the ostomy nurses about how to manage the ostomy on your own, and what to do if you have problems, they are fabulous resources.

My life was so much better after the ostomy. I also had a lot of grief that I "lost" the battle to keep my colon. It was a very mixed feeling...