I was tested late Wednesday, April 21st, on the amount of liquid being retained in my stomach, as an indication of whether it was safe to begin allowing me nutrition by mouth. I passed the tests, so on Thursday morning, April 22nd, my NG tube was taken out.

My surgeon said that I could take clear liquids today, and if that goes well we move on to solid food. He said I could be discharged by Sunday if things continue to go well.

I’m starting with a small amount of intake, aiming for about 8 ounces of chicken broth, jello, and tea. I don’t want to overload the system. So far I’ve had a breakfast and lunch, and taken a bit of a walk in the hallway after each to encourage motion in the gut. So far, so good.

My gastroentorologist came by to talk about maintenance medicines. I’ll be taking imuran and prednisone to start with, though we are tapering off the prednisone with a view to eliminating it within about six weeks or so. The touchy part is making sure my adrenal glands are producing once the prednisone stops.