Yes, I have many options, hypothetically at least, because I am on traditional Medicare. I feel like my questions were answered but after a while it felt like I was arguing as though I wanted chemo and it was clear that she was not in favor of doing it, or that I wanted a PET scan (or something of that sort) and that I wasn't going to get that. Since my only known tumor has been removed, I'm not sure what a second opinion would do, other than to re-evaluate the potential risk-benefit question.

As a little background, I had not been feeling well in a number of areas prior to the diagnosis of the TNBC. Some of these are in the process of being worked up, others are just mysteries, some treated. I won't bore you with the details but when a number of things in my body haven't seemed normal to me, I can't help but wonder if some of them could be related.

Also, I was initially told at diagnosis (by a breast cancer nurse) that I would be starting with chemo. However, when I saw the oncologist and the surgeon in separate appointments, they both said to start with surgery. So I went along. At that point, I hadn't read very much. Now I am understanding that it is a common practice to do chemo first to get a sense of its effectiveness with the patient's particular variety of TNBC and that sometimes, not always, it offers some protection against recurrence and gives additional information about prognosis. I wasn't told this or given this option and so I'm feeling like I wasn't given the chance to get this possible protection. My tumor is gone now (thank God) so that gives them reason to say there is no reason to do a systemic treatment that might result in serious side effects. So I understand their reasoning. But I'm also feeling vulnerable without either the possible protection and/or a look at whether there could be metastasis in other parts of my body (unless other doctors decide to scan me piece by piece). I realize it is unlikely with a small tumor found early but it still doesn't feel right.

I also see that part of my reaction is purely psychological - i.e. to spend two months getting used to the idea of having cancer (and an aggressive one, at that) and then having to switch my thinking to, no, I don't have cancer anymore and I don't need to do anything but be watched. Thank you to anyone who has read all of this. I need to spill it out to people who will understand.