GAGWTA
(Sorry so long...
)
Monique, I did not do carboplatin but I did do taxol - as Laura explained it's similar to taxotere (from same plant). My experience was similar to Laura's but I did do neulasta and aranesp at the same time, and I had just finished up 4 doses of adriamycin and cytoxin. I received all of my chemo in the dose dense regimen which was every two weeks instead of every three (thought to kill off any renegade cells just as they might be bouncing back up again - unfortunately does the same thing to you).
I was pretty wiped out. I could manage to get up, in the shower and dressed but had to rest after that. Having young children myself who were in half day kindergarten at the time, I timed what I did around their school hours. A good friend (another Diser, actually
) usually called to see if we wanted to tag along at a park with him and his kids, and if I balked he'd tell me not to worry, he'd play with the kids - and he did. It was he who often got me out of the house during days I probably otherwise would have stayed in. It was winter/spring so it was cold, and the hair of my red wig would be blowing in every direction but he didn't care. Once we even went sledding, LOL, my biggest fear being the wig would fly off but thankfully it didn't.
We laughed and planned the cruise we'd take with our families in 2006.
Thank you, Mykel Mouse.
I have another good friend who often took my kids for the whole day and that was a godsend to me so I could get some rest, though the thing about fatigue from chemo is that rest doesn't cure it.
Thank you, Jane.
The main thing about taxol for me was the muscle/bone pain - I never knew if it was from the neulasta, the aranesp, the taxol or a combination of the three, but God knows I didn't really care one way or the other because I knew I needed them all (my WBCs and RBCs were in the toilet so to speak, and I didn't want to miss any chemo doses). Several days after my first taxol dose the pain was so bad I couldn't walk for about 36 hours. I'm pretty strong willed about these types of things (figuring hey, if I can give it out, I can take it - my patients love that, and I've taken my cues from literally thousands of them over the years) -
but that scared me. But luckily after that it got better somewhat. Still there but not as bad as that first time. I took motrin for the pain, though they would have given me a prescription for "anything I wanted" (I happen like motrin). We had discussed neurontin but I was told by my team that they did not have good results with it and I didn't want to take it anyway so I stuck with the motrin (though Lessa of Pern reported here not too long ago that the neurontin was working for her). Like Laura I did try to use relaxation and meditation as much as I could, but honestly I was too "blah" to do much of anything at that point. I had been working as much as I could in the Nursing Education Dept of my hospital (I couldn't do my usual patient care for my own protection against disease), but at that point I couldn't manage even that. (My doctors had told me that would happen but I didn't believe it.
) I have no residual effects from taxol, thankfully.
Lastly, although I had lost
all of my hair from the A/C, with taxol my eyebrows and eyelashes came out also. Something about that really P'd me off. I felt up until that point I had looked pretty good and
normal (which was important to me) but after that I felt like I looked like crap (though others reported I still looked pretty good
I think they were probably just being kind). They did grow back almost as fast as they came out, and I had nice new ones in no time. Getting my hair back (about 2 1/2 months after my last chemo) was the best feeling in the world, and I still really love my post chemo hair which is now curly. It was also really nice not to have to shave my legs for a few months.
With all that said, I believe that although there may be similar experiences, everyone's individual experience is unique, and what may have happened to one person may not happen to the next. It's pretty safe to say, though, that chemo is draining, you'll definitely be wiped out, and if possible you should line up your reinforcements for help with your kids and meals. If people ask how they can help, I'd suggest those two things. Even taking the kids bowling or to a movie for the afternoon is helpful, and it helps keep their lives as normal as possible while their Mom is going through such a tough time.
One quick story about the neulasta and aranesp injections. Great nurse I am.
They were very expensive - around $2000 each - and I came home from the pharmacy one day with 16 of them. Yes, $32,000 worth of injections. (I am very grateful I have prescription coverage
). That trip must have wiped me out because when I got home I put the injections in a drawer, never noticing the label saying they were supposed to be
refrigerated (how bout a great big DUH to me, LOL).
I noticed about a week later when I was doing one of the shots. Talk about a FREAK OUT moment.
I must have sat there for 20 minutes trying to figure out what to do. I ended up deciding that I didn't have $28K to spare, so - holding my breath - I took them anyway.
Oh well, I try not to beat myself up over such things, all of us do the best we can at the time with what we have.
But I agree, there is positive in that news. For one thing, at least you know at the outset what you are dealing with so when you recover (and you WILL) you can really recover. 
I'm also glad you heard the 35 year survivor story when you did, funny how sometimes those are the things you need to hold on to. I'm going to add a few of my own for you to help you feel a little better - I always held onto them at the beginning of my journey and still do even now. 
~~~***GAGWTA sistas***~~~
Hey, you can always blame chemobrain...
LOL).
GAGWTA
If you have someone caring for you compassionately who can make you laugh...people like that are a real godsend. 
