I finished treatment on Friday. There were a few hiccups in the last few days. On Thursday my heart rate slowed by half and I was pretty unwell. I fronted up on Friday worried about a repeat performance that didn't eventuate. Lucky for me I was covered wall to wall in hives to distract me from my ticker!
This week I'm discovering that I'm not very interested in my normal activities. I've decided that standing at the kitchen bench/sitting at the computer/keeping my eyes open just aren't my bag.
It's like I rapidly aged over the weekend and I'm now getting around in an eighty year old body. I feel empathy for all octogenarians and believe it should be legislated that they get a good thirty minutes to respond to "how are you?"
Well, dear, my back aches. My neck is sore. My infusion sites still hurt. My skin's still a bit itchy from the rash.....
While I'm upright, I'm making sure I get as much bang for my buck. I know many of you are in the same situation, so I thought you'd find this quick no-chop balsamic chicken tray bake handy. It's not my usual re-plated and photographed in natural light standard, so forgive the quick and dirty iPhone photos and take it for what it is - a delicious, hands-off, limited standing required dinner.
balsamic chicken tray bake
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
punnet cherry tomatoes
half a red capsicum
two handfuls black olives
drizzle (about 2 tbs) Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
bunch English spinach (baby spinach works too)
squirt Balsamic glaze
Method;
Preheat your oven to 160C.
Whack the chicken thighs in the bottom of an oven tray. Mine is non-stick, but grease with a glug of olive oil if your's isn't.
Tip in a punnet of cherry tomatoes, the roughly chopped (or torn) capsicum and a couple of handfuls of olives.
Give a drizzle of balsamic and bung in the oven.
After thirty minutes, turn off the oven. Flip the chicken and toss in the spinach. Return to the (off) oven for another ten minutes and let the residual heat wilt the spinach.
Give the whole thing a toss and a quick squirt with balsamic glaze.
I served ours on polenta cooked in half stock, half water with a little handful of cheese thrown in at the end.
So that's the state of play here at the moment. We're going as well as can be and I'm tucking myself into bed earlier each night.
Thank you all for your kind, encouraging words last week. I'm thrilled to have completed the full course of miracle, despite the ticker anomaly and I'm very grateful of all the support you've shown me.
Simply thanks,
A xx
A xx
kit@lifethroughthehaze says
This looks great!
Keep looking after yourself while the infusion has happened your body is now doing its thing to get the infusion working.
Big hugs xoxo
Nicole @ The Builders Wife says
Sorry to hear you are feeling so tired and generally yucky. That chicken dish looks super yummy and super easy is a winner in my books. Sending hugs lovely. xxx
Amanda Smyth says
Thanks mate. x
Kylie@valle laguna says
Hopefully the worst is over and you'll start to feel better soon. Love the look of this chicken dish. One pot wonders are high on my list.
Amanda Smyth says
Thanks Kylie. I'm feeling more like myself every day. 🙂