Professor Shpitz and the way forward...

So... Wednesday was Shpitzday. Naively I thought I was just going to swan in there and get a date for closure of my ileostomy. Well, no. That's not how it works. First of all I was informed that I needed a colonoscopy and a 'leak test', which, believe me, is going to be just as horrific a test as it sounds. I was anxious that these tests would take a while to set up; through my local clinic it would have taken at least a month. Fortunately, Prof. Shpitz came to the rescue, and set up both tests in the hospital, the colonoscopy today and the 'leak test' tomorrow, and I have just come home from the colonoscopy.
I was really quite worried about having anything stuck up what has become rather a sensitive and delicate bit of me, and explained this (loudly) to any medical staff I could manage to trap in a corner for long enough. Luckily the colonoscopist (?) was a nice person and reassured me by deciding he would use a pediatric colonoscope and really just by making me feel that he was listening to my concerns. In the event it was a much easier colonoscopy than the first, last year, and I felt absolutely fine right afterwards. The results were good too, all clear and a recommendation to proceed with closure.
Tomorrow's test is another adventure in the making, it sounds slightly awful and I hope it won't really be as bad as I fear. It involves a rubber tube, contrast medium, an x-ray machine and twenty minutes of clenched muscles. I shall say no more until tomorrow, assuming I survive.
The last bit of news is that even when all these tests are done there is a waiting list for the operation. I don't think it is actually a waiting list of people wanting their ileostomies reversed, just a general waiting list for non life saving operations, and I am not sure it really bothers me. If it turns out to be a few months we will go out to Chasamba, have a lovely holiday which we both really need, and come back for the operation. It might even be better that way, since apparently it takes a while to get good bowel control back after reversal, so a good holiday beforehand might be a good idea!