So, I’m recovering from round 7. I know I’ve briefly explained the side effects of Taxol but I thought I would elaborate a little more since I’m in the midst of it.

After the treatment, I am very weary, not just tired but weary. My arms and legs are itchy. My goal is not to scratch them because that just makes it worse. Plus I don’t want to get a rash (which I did the first time I received Taxol). My arms and legs continue to feel itchy when the muscle and bone pain begins which is about 48 hours after treatment. I literally think, “and there it is” when the pain begins. I feel the pain throughout my body – fingertips, pelvis, calves, everywhere. I usually get a headache within hours of the pain starting. I usually take Benedryl to help me sleep but it has its own side effects. Ibuprofen helps bring down the pain a notch. Claritin helps with the pain a bit too. The pain was bad enough last night that it nearly brought me to tears.

With all that said, I would still take the side effects of Taxol over the Adriamycin and Citoxin side effects. For one thing, I don’t feel like I’m in a chemo fog anymore which is nice, but I’m definitely more emotional. I don’t like that.

My eyebrows and eyelashes have almost made it through all of this. They are sparse, but I can still apply make up to them. I’m hoping they make it. I have no idea how to put on fake eyelashes or how to draw eyebrows on.

I’m still looking forward to finishing chemo and moving on to radiation.