Ginger tea

I have become a (relative) expert in managing the moderate nausea I've experienced lately on the Vorinostat. Ginger beer for when I want a cold drink. Saltines or other crispy, salty things to eat -- pretzels, Tam Tams, and my favorite, La Panzanella's rosemary croccantini. (When I see them at Costco, three plastic sleeves per box, I grab as many as I can carry.) And because the lemon-ginger tea I like is too pricey when I want to drink multiple cups every day, now I've learned to make my own ginger tea.

I bought a large knob of fresh ginger, scrubbed it thoroughly and chopped it, peel and all, into very small dice. I brought a pot of water to boil, added the ginger, and let the whole thing simmer for 15 minutes. Then I turned off the heat and let it steep, covered, for an hour or more. I added honey to sweeten to my taste, and now have a very strong, ginger tisane* base. I pour some into a glass, add hot water, and it really settles my tummy. All for the price of fresh ginger and some honey (negligible when compared to the cost of a box of tea).

*What's a tisane? It's the French name for a drink made from an herbal or plant infusion.

Because that first bout of nausea was strong enough to warrant taking the drowsy-makig anti-nausea med, I changed the time I take the vorinistat from morning to bedtime. I don't have any nausea in that half hour before going to bed, but it does seem to hit me when I stand up in the morning.

I wake up hungry, eat breakfast, and rapidly develop some nausea. It's all rather moderate, but it still makes me want to lie down again. The ginger tea seems to help with the nausea.

Today it's raining and the wind is blowing, so I'm not really in the mood to walk the dog. (Sorry, Bobka.) He, of course, is already asleep on his dog bed in the other room. I don't think he wants to go for a walk in the rain either.