@terese7, you've received many helpful and reassuring replies from members. I agree that hearing the words cancer and chemo is scary. It sounds like you need to learn more about the treatment to feel good with your decision. When talking to your doctor, you might start with these questions:
- Why do you recommend hydroxyurea as the best treatment for me?
- What are the benefits and risks (possible side effects) of this treatment?
- Are there alternatives?
- How does this treatment help?
- What happens if I decide to not take hydroxyurea?
- Can I get a referral to an integrative medicine doctor to discuss options for managing treatment?

More and more cancer centers and oncology specialists are open to discussing and integrating complementary medicine in programs called Integrative Medicine or Integrative Oncology. Integrative medicince is offered at many cancer centers of excellence, including Mayo Clinic.

Here's a link to more information about Mayo Clinic's Integrative Medicine programs
– Integrative Medicine and Health https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/integrative-medicine-health/sections/overview/ovc-20464567

Integrative options can help with managing proven effective treatments and might be something to look into.