Every time I pass a Cracker Barrel, I think about Gin-Gin chews. I’d never even heard of them before a little care package arrived the week I started chemo.
Again, a credit to my precious sister survivor Jehan, this little box she’d sent included a prayer pillow, a funny card, and a small box of these curious little candy chews. They had a teddy bear on them and were made with ginger, a natural remedy for nausea and vomiting.
I was skeptical, thinking it would taste about as delightful as a Hall’s cough drop. But it turned out to be a comforting little candy and wonder of wonders did much (maybe some placebo effect too?) to settle my nausea.
After I was introduced to them, I began looking for them everywhere and realized they’re not readily available (at least not at the grocery stores where I typically shop, despite online retailers that claim to have them in stock). But Cracker Barrels can be relied upon for Gin-Gin chews, usually in those little candy bins by the gift shop checkout/store entrance. Ditto for Amazon.
In addition to Gin-Gins, I found that I could also settle tummy unease with a little lime-infused lemonade. Plus, it was nice to mix up the near constant water hydration routine.
I typically pound water like I’m a camel, but at some point, H2O gets super boring and a little variety is nice, especially when chemo has zapped everything else and you’re kind of in this bland existence where everything tastes, smells and feels meh.
I would always keep Crystal Light lemonade packets on hand, and fresh limes in the fridge. A wedge of freshly squeezed lime juice added just enough zip to make the lemonade tasty, refreshing, and soothing.
Between the ginger chews and my drink, I never even had to open the package of anti-nausea drops I had ordered online before treatment started.
One more tip on the anti-nausea note. Unless you find that you can tolerate the Zofran dissolvable pills that sit under your tongue, know that this medicine comes in other forms. I had suffered through that Pepto-ish sensation for weeks before I asked my oncologist about it and switched to the non-dissolvable tablet. When you already feel like you’ve been hit by a bus, and you’re dealing with mouth sores that make it hard to eat or drink anything, having to endure a heart candy-ish, super chalky, slow to dissolve nausea pill is the worst.
Just know you have options!
If you’re a hot tea drinker, give this a try – Earl Grey with a small bit of fresh honey stirred in; that was my favorite go-to in the Survivor mug I’m pictured with here. Something about it did much to ease the chronic queasiness once Red Devil chemo began accumulating in my system in earnest.