I have bp1 so I'll only answer some questions:

Please remember I'm on the severe end.

When you find a cocktail of meds that works for you. How likely is it that you will stay "normal"/stable forever or many years? Will a person still have the extreme highs and lows? I judge my stability in weeks not months or years. The medication lessens my severe symptoms but lengthens my episodes.

Can a person with bipolar 2 live a completely "normal" life, just like everyone else? With a career and family? I can't take the stress of a job and family. So I don't work. My family is small and generally happy.

Does everybody get back to "normal" after a depression, I mean when it comes to "brain activity"? I do when I come out of depression.

Do a person with bipolar need to take special things in consideration? When it comes to job/career, working hours/times, sleep and so on? sleep is very important to stay stable.

If I could do college over I would take things slow.