What happens when you know something has changed in your body and need someone to listen?
Jessica Baladad joins Jay to share her experience with breast cancer and the questions that became the foundation of Feel For Your Life. After having a benign breast tumor removed at 18, Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer at 33. She discusses the uncertainty, treatment, and advocacy that followed.
The conversation follows her efforts to make health information easier to understand and help people prepare for conversations with their medical teams. Jessica describes building an app, navigating insurance barriers, and developing an AI feature intended to translate pathology reports into plain language and suggest questions to ask a doctor. Throughout, the focus stays on being heard and having a voice in decisions about your care.
What We Explore
* Jessica's experience before and after her diagnosis
* Family history and paying attention to changes
* Speaking up when a concern needs attention
* Insurance barriers and the work of patient advocacy
* Building Feel For Your Life
* Using technology to prepare questions for clinicians
* Reducing fear and shame around health conversations
About Jessica Baladad
Jessica Baladad is a breast cancer survivor, patient advocate, and creator of Feel For Your Life. Her work focuses on education, self-advocacy, and helping people participate in conversations about their health.
Jessica: https://feelforyourlife.com
The Tragedy Academy
Candid conversations exploring the human experience through tragedy and triumph.
Hosted by Jay Hicks.
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