Flu shot question & update on Heatherbelle

Hi! I hope everyone's enjoyed their holiday season & off to a great start in 2015! Newer members won't know me but I'm an oldie from 2010 when I was dx with Stage 2 bc. Dx again this summer with reis recurrence to lymph nodes on my cancer side (I had a dbl mastectomy in 2010 and bc CAN recur  after mastectomy in the surrounding lymph nodes and chest wall). After PET scan though I was also dx with metastasis to lymph nodes on the OTHER side, and possibly in my lung. A small nodule showed up on both my pre and post-radiation PET scans, in one of my lungs. I guess lung imaging can be iffy on a pet scan, and it must be a little different appearing, because my onc is hesitant to call it cancer in the lung based on the pet scans alone.

I had radiation to the main mass on my previous cancer side- it was some nodes & lots of inflammation and sitting right on my brachial plexus nerve system, so i suffered often excruciating pain until it shrank. But rads took care of it and the cancer has left the building...or rather, that side of the building In addition to the radiation to the right side my onc started me on the oral chemo Xeloda to treat the other small spot on the other side. And my follow up pet scan shows that the xeloda didnt work, the spot is still there and has grown a tiny bit. The good news is the cancer has not spread to anywhere else. My liver looks great, my bloodwork has been "beautiful", according to my Dr, bones are clear. But we have to find another treatment since xeloda was a poop and didnt do its job for me. Im positive for BRCA1, and although my cancer is PR+, its only 1-4% so my onc says its technically triple negative. So there are no drugs like tamoxifen or herceptin i can have

Doc is on the ball. Im going down to Indiana University in Indianapolis this month to see a specialist and see if I am eligible for any clinical trials. Im also having both the cancerous node and the lung nodule biopsied this month, and its being sent to some place in Boston for some really heavy duty marker testing. Like the first time, my recurrence was caught fairly early and my oncologist is very optimistic.  We're looking for a targeted treatment first, but if that doesnt produce anything ill have to get another port put in and have IV chemo again. And speaking of "IV", with the metastasis I AM living with stage 4 cancer now. Im scared. At times my anxiety gets the best of me. Im 39. I have a little girl in kindergarten and another daughter who's 13. Sometimes I get tears in my eyes just from looking at them. I've kind of backed away from friends because I don't want to make them sad. (Although I am easing my way back into my social circle now!). But, on New year's eve I told myself to get back in the swing of things, reach out to my friends, get as much support behind me as I can, and fight this with all my might.

So,  after the long update, my main reason for posting is- I have to get my flu shot, im planning on going tomorrow. There is the regular flu shot, and also a high-dose flu shot. The high dose one is recommended for people ages 65 and over, because likelihood of having a weakened immune system and places people 65 and over at greater risk for illness. My onc recommended Iget a flu shot, but ddidn't mention the high dose one. I was looking online at my regular Walgreens to make sure they have the shot available, that's when I saw the high dose flu shot. Should I get the high dose since I have cancer? Im planning on calling my Dr tomorrow to see what she thinks, but im curious as to whether or not anyone else on here has been recommended by their doc to get the high dose one, even if they're under 65? Any input is greatly appreciated! !

Thank you & xoxo

Heatherbelle