tests after treatment has been compleated

mjules

Hi, I am almost 2 1/2 yrs out from my dx of TNBC. I also had hormone positive BC in 2002 with no lymph node involvement and had 4 rounds of Adriamycin and Cytoxin and 7 wks of rads. It was stage 1 and I had a lumpectomy and was on Tamox.  When I was diagnosed with this cancer I had a DMX. with clear lymph node (sentinal) lump was about 1.5cm. found durring routine mamo..The first cancer was treated in NJ where we lived, now Husband and I live in TN. I went to an oncologist that was recomended by my gen. pract. that I like. Also when my NJ Dr. heard I had a new BC (he's a casual friend of my brothers)he called me and agreed with the treatment my new oncologist was giving me. It was three or four rounds of Taxol - I can't have Adriam. again - Sorry I can't find my paper work right now and its bizzare how I can put things like how many treatments I had out of my brain. Like the stageing, I think its 2a or b as with most TN they were poorly dif.cells and scored a bad 3 on each catagory. Oh, I am now 58yrs. old. Thats my history but my big question thats really eating away at me is when I go for my check ups, and its not very often like NJ, I think I've graduated to a year now, she does not perform or prescribe any tests. She doesn't believe in markers and I've never had an MRI or anything since. Oh, I did have breast reconstruction a year after with implants that worked ok seeing as one breast had been radiated, my PS was happy. They are small, I guess there wasn't alot of skin and I didn't get nipples because I've heard of too many women upset that their "headlights" were on all the time. Anyway I was burned out on revisions and surgerys so I said unless he would tatoo peace signs I was done. Getting off track, my question is, if this cancer is so prone to METS why wouldn't an MRI be precribed once a yr.. I've been reading this site for a couple of years now, not with frequency tho., and it seems some get more tests than others. If I am not getting good/correct treatment from this Dr. I will switch drs. but  we are still paying off the bills we already have so its not like I'm not considering the cost involved with going thru a new or second opinion Dr. with hundreds of dollars in cost after ins. pays.. I don't have a job and my husband doesn't show me the bills because it gets me too upset. I would be so grateful to hear what others are haveing done as follow up testing. Thanks, Mary