I'm not going to say that every day is sunshine and roses or that recovery from the surgery will necessarily be easy. Mine wasn't, and I went through a lot with the 3 step process. There are bad days and there are bumps in the road. There are annoyances and inconveniences (like feeling that you have to buy shares in toilet paper - LOL - and not being able to find an accessible bathroom at the airport due to construction. UGH). But truth be told, the vast majority of the time, I do not think about my pouch. I work full time. I ride horses, run, and do yoga. I just recently ran my first 5K race with the pouch and did really well within my age group. I do have to watch my diet, but that has less to do with pouch function and more with the fact that I have scar tissue/adhesions that have caused obstructions in the past. But I am very happy with my pouch and with my overall quality of life. Not a single day has passed that I have ever missed my ostomy, and compared to having UC, I feel like a million bucks.