[Chelee]

Hi Vicky, They give you steriods to help prevent an allergic reaction. No one likes taking them but they do help prevent problems associated with chemo. They are usually prescribed by your onc to take the day before, of & day after your infusion. (So three days.) Now I know of some people that have been told to take them for 5 days if they are prone to problems.

As to your finger nails chemo is hard on them. They can get dried out and brittle. Towards the end of my treatment...I believe infusion five for myself on TCH...the nails on both my index finger and thumb turned black and eventually fell off. That's why you hear of some woman using peas or ice water during their infusion. They say it really helps. But afterwards all my nails grew back just fine so it really wasn't too bad.

I was treated with TCH and I found it was always day 3 for me that I had side affects from it. The first two days I felt great...so don't be surprised. Always take your nausea pills regardless ahead of time until you see how your affected? They work great and I had no problems with nausea. After I while on TCH I didn't even need to take them anymore. The worse thing was the awful taste I got in my mouth...either from Taxotere or Carbo? It was difficult for me to eat anything. Most people said they gained weight due to the steriods...but I actually lost 37 lbs with no problems. Food was just nasty to me. Heck of a way to diet. Ha.

Its good you have the Ambien because it's really hard to sleep when you've taken steroids. Always stay well hydrated...very important. Listen to your body and rest when you need too...don't push yourself to hard. Everyone reacts so different...lots of woman here did great and even worked through their entire treatment which amazes me! After you get your first infusion out of the way you will feel some relief. The fear before you start can be over whelming. Hang in there...you can do this.

Chelee