HU x 5+ years. No side effects to speak of. Less fatigue after I started it.

HU side effects are overstated, and there are a lot of fear-mongers out there. Ask doc to start you on lowest dose possible and work up. Drink 60 oz of water throughout the day, wear sunscreen, and don't handle pills without washing hands. I tip my caps from bottle into paper pill cup. Easy peasy.

I suspect some patients resist taking "chemo" because it means facing up to a cancer diagnosis. I felt that way a bit, and I took a week off work when I started HU because I expected horrors. None of my fears came true.

If you are freaking out about HU, ask about alternatives such as Pegasys or Jakafi. If you have PV, insurance might pay for those. It won't for ET.

Also: If you have kids at home, straighten your spine and be brave about taking care of yourself, including taking the meds the docs recommend. If they develop an MPN later in life, you will have modeled courage under pressure instead of denial and fear. Dad had ET, and his experiences and attitude really helped me.