Yes you can live a normal and healthy life . . . but you will always be "a person with diabetes" and as such you will always be more susceptible to certain other health conditions (from simple things like yeast infections to very un-simple things like kidney disease and heart conditions), than someone who does not have diabetes . . . so "normal" is a relative term. It definitely does not mean that you can ever ignore the way you eat or the way you behave.
Also, unfortunately, once getting off meds does not mean that you will never need them again. After losing my first 60 or 65 pounds I managed to cut my meds way down and actually got off insulin for a year. Here I am a year and a half later and another 10 to 15 pounds lighter and I'm back on insulin. But, as far as my day to day activities and quality of life are concerned, I consider myself very "normal" for someone of my age (66) and weight (see ticker).
The condition usually diagnosed as "pre-diabetes" also a part of "syndrome X"
can be completely reversed. True diabetes cannot. Living with Diabetes is a long-term thing; but it certainly doesn't mean anything is restricted other than eating junk food all the time or living a sleep-deprived and totally unbalanced lifestyle.
If "normal" for you means eating and drinking everything you want whenever you want it and being able to party all night -- no you will likely never be able to live a "normal" life again; but I don't think that describes you, does it?
We all feel pretty down during the early times after our diagnosis, Chickie. I tried the 'wishing the disease would go away' route for years and it doesn't work and believe me I was about ten years into my life as a "PWD" (person with diabetes) before anyone ever told me that it was a progressive or lifelong disease. That news was not easy to hear for me either. However, I wish I had heard it earlier. You really do need to know what you are facing here.
Sorry for the 'tough-love' routine, sweetie . . . It's just because I do care about you.
I know you can do this.