Why Being Heard Matters After Cancer | Jess Bunin, MD
Dr. Jess Bunin, a three-time cancer survivor and retired Army colonel, joins Kandas to talk about why being heard matters in the doctor's office and why the mental health side of cancer deserves more attention. She also shares how she turned her story into a leadership book and a new business, and why self-compassion makes room for gratitude.
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so every episode of Gratitude Geek this month honors thrivers who are living their legacy with cancer.
This week, Kandas talks with Dr. Jess Bunin, a three-time cancer survivor, West Point graduate, retired Army colonel and physician trained in both psychiatry and internal medicine. Jess shares her cancer story, from thyroid cancer in medical school to Hodgkin’s disease to a breast cancer that only showed up on an MRI. She also talks about pushing for the surgery she wanted when she didn’t feel listened to, and how one night in the ER gave her an answer to “why me.”
Along the way, Kandas and Jess get honest about mental health after cancer, why women still get dismissed in healthcare, and how Jess wrote and published a leadership book in a matter of months. They also talk about how self-compassion and boundaries make room for gratitude, especially when you aren’t feeling grateful at all.
What you’ll hear
- Why high-risk women may need an MRI, since Jess’s tumor never showed up on a mammogram or ultrasound
- How Jess chose a bilateral mastectomy with no reconstruction, and what it took to get her care team to hear her
- Why you should talk with doctors and with women who’ve been through it, and keep a running list of questions
- The study showing doctors interrupt patients in as little as 11 seconds
- How a conversation with a frightened patient turned Jess’s “why me” into purpose
- Why PTSD, depression and anger deserve a place in cancer care
- How Jess went from retired colonel to author, speaker and business owner
- Why gratitude is hard to practice without self-compassion and boundaries
About Jess Bunin, MD
Jess is a three-time cancer survivor, a West Point graduate and a retired Army colonel with 23 years of service. She is the author of Self-Awareness and Trust, Leading Healthcare Teams from the Inside Out, published in August. Jess lives with her wife and their pit bulls, whom she calls her children.
Resources from this episode
- Self-Awareness and Trust by Jess Bunin, MD: https://amzn.to/3W6zj2d
- Jess’s free self-awareness worksheet: https://lead.jessbuninmd.com/
- In Shock by Rana Awdish: https://amzn.to/4zhMwnt
- Aftershock by Rana Awdish: https://amzn.to/4z6q4gW
- Connect with Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-bunin/
→ Full show notes + links: https://kandasrodarte.com/344
Gratitude Geek is the business education podcast for Gen X women solopreneurs who weave gratitude and appreciation into their business strategy. Hosted by metastatic breast cancer thriver, Kandas Rodarte, who co-creates spaces, opportunities, and conversations for women business owners.
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