Short story is MIL just had successfull quad bypass…
we are thrilled that it was successful
(What better reason to live in Cleveland!)
Just figured out (don’t ask) we should most definitely be cooking for her when she comes home in two days.
I’m totally ignorant as to what the recovery might be.
Anybody been through this?
Chicken soup early?
Appreciate any insight on best recovery meals.
Not trying to be difficult but…
Don’t trust a wine board, trust your doctors.
Assuming she isn’t restricted,
Healthy food- chicken/fish/tofu- not too spicy, with fresh vegetables. Olive oil instead of butter.Fresh fruit should be ok.
If not specifically restricted post op, the diet would be similar to the one if you were trying to avoid a heart attack.
Not sure about wine- check with her doctor.
Low salt - get one of the salt free seasonings like Mrs.Dash if she finds things bland.
Understood,
I am in the healthcare field so I know the diet on paper that is coming.
Im wondering if there is something beyond hospital food that we can make her transition easier.
It’s crazy to say but her husband will be eating takeout (bob Evans and bad steakhouse) so we are going to be trying to pick up the slack, on short notice…
I’m not asking so much a long term diet. We know that.
I’m wondering about a short term recovery diet. When one gets home and is sore and feeling awful ect.
After that she has to make that decision, of course with our encouragement!
Well the good news is that there are a lot of heart surgeons that like wine. So at least some of the audience is in the target demographic.
Edit for immediately
I knew I was here for a reason! 
At least you’ll have some good recommendations for when it’s his turn.
Do your own research.
That is what convinced me to restrict my diet to grilled meat.
Figured you would get some good expert advice, but not so far lol. I would contact the hospital, and try to speak to a dietician.
When a family member had heart problems recently, the cardiologist talked about limiting red meat (beef and pork), eating more fish and poultry, vegetable proteins, etc. Use less salt, all the conventional wisdom for heart disease.
If you were looking for something g more specific, what does she like?
If you can get Ira Jung Salmon where you are, it’s awesome, as good as Copper River King.
Otherwise trout almondine is great. With salad and veggies.
There are no dietary restrictions after cardiac bypass. Eat sensibly, take multivitamin, liquid supplements like ensure are smart. Stay low fat with the latter.
Whatever she wants to eat.
I think this is the correct answer. I had the procedure two years ago and I don’t remember much about food, what I do remember has mostly to do with pain and discomfort. I lived in the LayZ-Boy for at least two weeks. That was the only place I could squeak out an hour or two of sleep after I hit the point of exhaustion. It’s not an easy recovery.
Glad you’ve recovered.
Appreciate the thoughts and considerations. She still isn’t out, so no cooking yet.
No one meal matters, so as far as I’m concerned she can have anything she wants post trauma.
She asked for some help so I guess long term that should be a good signal. (Although does it really matter now?)
I’ve never really had to care for somebody out of the hospital direct so that was my initial concern/interest in food beyond what they pass out on the discharge paper.
When that comes I’ll try to post it 
Can I ask how old she is? How active was she before this?
A big part of recovery is just getting the person back on their feet, getting active, sometimes just wanting to eat anything. That’s the first priority: activity, and calories. You can worry about “healthy diet” later.
I’ve nursed my wife back from serious conditions several times now. It’s a lot of work. There’s no substitute for being there, being proactive in encouraging exercise, eating, doing things that help with mental attitude, and so on.
Medicare may pay for some home care, which can be a big help. If she/you can afford it, might be worth looking into that anyway.
Best of luck!
72…so very active so many years ago (not now) but just can’t get any traction now for exercising in recent years.
I appreciate that nice big picture perspective Alan.
My post came from her request, but I think your angle of lifestyle makes much sense.
Let’s go for a walk…we can eat AFTER the walk.
Moving is important, with a walker or not. The fact that she used to exercise is a good sign that she can comeback.
I would suggest researching if purchasing a Whoop might be a helpful tool to have. It’s about $225/year for the subscription and it tracks sleep, strain, & recovery. It is basically a hospital-grade EKG that you wear on your wrist. It will track HRV, and make recommendations for reduced strain when recovery is low.
Added daily data might help give permission to rest when tired, and might encourage exercise when recovery & HRV are higher.
One warning…I’ve dramatically decreased my wine consumption since putting my Whoop on in January of 2024. So if she is a wine lover too…she will not like seeing the impact that one glass of wine can have on her recovery.
One plus…since putting on my Whoop 10 months ago, my HRV (Heart Rate Variability) has just about doubled (that’s a good thing). Since following the guidance for strain and exercise by the whoop my BMI has decreased 7.5%, my muscle rate has increased 4.3%, & my average heart rate has decreased 9bpm.
I wish her a resultful and stress-free recovery. I also want to qualify that this is all “anic-data” and not meant to be considered advice, but to share my experience. Everyone’s experiences will vary.