Hi Amy. I had 6 cycles of doxetaxal last summer and had lots of side effects but certainly no pain at all. My first cycle I had terrible bone pain from the zarxio injections but stopped that with antihistamines recommended by my oncology nurse. Yes, I did lose most of my finger nails, but kept all my toenails. I had a foul taste in my mouth that made everything I ate or drank taste horrible so I didn't eat much for 3 months. I also had bad muscle fatigue which meant even walking from one room to another felt like I'd run a marathon with my legs shaking like jelly. The worst side effect for me by far has been the peripheral neuropathy. My finger tips and toes went numb after my 5th cycle and the feeling has not come back over a year later. The toes are manageable but my lack of feeling in my fingers drives me mad on a daily basis. You obviously know all about the hair loss - I have to say that I was more upset about losing my eyelashes than my eyebrows or the hair on my head. I knew I was going to lose them but the thought that I'd lose my eyelashes as well had never crossed my mind so that was a shock.

To sum it all up, I'd say that yes, docetaxel is pretty brutal but I found it bearable. I live alone but got by OK with the help of a very kind neighbour who did a little shopping for me when my wobbly legs were particularly bad. Try not to set too much store by what other people tell you of their experiences, everyone is different. You have made up your mind to have the chemo so that means you accept that there will be side effects but hopefully yours will be no more than you can cope with. I don't know your situation and whether you have family and friends to support you but if you have then make good use of them - if they offer to help, let them. I did the whole cancer "journey" on my own and I'm sure that if I could do it then so can you. Just take one day at a time, don't look for side effects and try to keep positive. You can do it!! 

Wishing you all the best, Mog, xx