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@maryKamille A June 2018 chemo starter here (and just finished officially this past Thursday). I thought I'd share my nail experience with you. I occasionally wear nail polish, but not often, as it dries out my nails, too -- and my nails were pretty dry and ridged before starting chemo. During FEC, I'd been told that the main things were to keep the nails trimmed, so I cut them very short the day before each cycle, and to protect them from UV exposure (it was summer), so I applied sunblock to my bare nails when I was slathering the rest of my body. I also applied cuticle oil once a day and moisturizer morning and night.
When I switched from FEC to docetaxel, everybody suggested dark polish, so I started with that, but after about a week I was worried about them drying out. So I took off the polish and upped my moisturizing. Georgie Gee, an August '18 chemo starter, recommended Polybalm, which was trialled at her hospital. It's pricey, but I decided to give it a go -- just 1 order, stretched over all my cycles by supplementing 1 application per day with applications of cuticle oil.
I'm day 24 after cycle 7 (3 FEC followed by 4 TPH), and my nails are all still intact. You can even see the white Mees lines from each cycle of chemo -- running horizontally across the nails -- growing out! My right thumbnail is slightly sore, so I might trim my nails back again to keep them from snagging; these are grown out from last trim 25 or 26 days ago.
I've also kept all my toenails, despite moisturizing them less frequently -- just after shower and before bed -- and despite having a nasty pre-existing nailbed injury on one of my big toes. (Still half expect that nail to fall off, but I've been expecting that for about a year now.)
Of course, we all respond differently to chemo, so this regime may not do the trick for everyone.
For instance, I didn't have several of the typical side effects -- nausea, vomiting, or mouth ulcers -- but I landed in hospital twice: once with febrile neutropenia, once with a C difficile infection (the main symptom of which is, ahem, severe diarrhea). I also got what the oncologist thinks was shingles. So other parts of my body took some punishment. But in the end, it was all doable -- and now I'm through!
I can't say enough how important it is to keep an eye on your temperature and the other stuff in your chemo hotline list -- and to call your chemo unit or hotline whenever you have questions or concerns. They are there to help -- and amazingly supportive and reassuring, and ready to get you seen by a doctor asap when you need it. I also learned tons from my June starter-mates (I still am!), as well as from Shi and the other community champions who pop in with advice and guidance.
Hi everyone
So good to see all these posts. Cheered me up immediately. Will answer some individually and no doubt we will all pick up the rest as and when. 
