There are different tips about protecting your finger and toe nails, so ask your BC nurse what they recommend. You must keep them cut short though - if they are long, you are more likely to knock them, which could result in one falling off.
The options seem to be:
1) Moisturise all your nails regularly
2) paint your nails with a solid colour so light can't penetrate them to the bed, but moisturise each time you repaint.
3) Wear cotton spa gloves to protect your nails, and moisturise!
I'm using E45 aqueous lotion.
Just be really careful with them. I'm painting them and removing the paint to remoisturise every 3-4 days. You can lose you nails at any time over the coming year - it takes a long time for them to recover from this, so take very good care of them.
You will probably feel fine for the first couple of days after having your T chemo. This is normal - make the most of it. Then on day 3 (day 1 being Wednesday, when you have the chemo), start taking whichever pain killers you use. The best bet is either cocodomol (but this causes constipation) or paracetamol PLUS ibuprofen - take them both together every 4 hours. If you start taking them BEFORE the pain sets in, it won't be so bad, hopefully. It seems to hit around day 4 and lasts a week or so. I was advised to start taking painkillers early, and thought I'd wait and see how bad it was first. Big mistake. It's bad.
My BC nurse warned me at my pre-chemo check that it would feel like I had been hit by a steamroller. Well, when the pain hit, I described it like i'd been trampled by a herd of buffalo, been punched in the face by Mike Tyson and had an elephant standing on my chest. So get the painkillers stocked up (on prescription - just ask for them) and get them into your system starting on day 3.
You'll probably flush quite red in the face and neck area for a few days - this is normal. If you were sick on FEC, you'll probably be sick on T but I haven't been sick at all yet. So judge that on how you've coped with nausea so far.
Oh, and you will have been given your steroid pills to start taking the day before you go for chemo. Make sure you take the first 4 as early as possible on Tuesday and the second 4 before lunchtime, otherwise you won't be able to sleep Tuesday night. I managed to take them at 6am and 11am and slept normally, which is amazing! Don't forget to take 4 early Wednesday as well - the second 4 you'll have to judge around your chemo session - take them before it if it is 11am or later, or after it if it's before 11am.
That's about it really. Good luck. It's tougher than FEC, but it's worth it, and we can all do it. I'm now on day 13 post T#1 and although I have woken up with aches around my body, they are NOT pains, so I won't need any painkillers. I only took one lot of paracetamol yesterday. It has eased off a heck of a lot now.
