Daily Lessons from Life 14 May 2013 - Angelina Jolie: I had double mastectomy

"Tuesday, May 14, 2013 AFP NEW YORK - Angelina Jolie revealed Tuesday that she has undergone a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her risk of contracting breast cancer. Jolie said she was speaking out to encourage other women with a family history of cancer - her mother died of it age 56 - to seek out information from doctors and make informed choices about their bodies. She said she managed to keep the issue quiet and keep working. "But I am writing about it now because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience," she said. The 37-year-old American actress wrote in an opinion piece entitled "My Medical Choice" in The New York Times that she had chosen the procedure because she carries a faulty gene that increases her risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie, one of Hollywood's best-known faces and the partner of actor Brad Pitt, said that because of this gene, known as BRCA1, her doctors estimated she had an 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy," she wrote. "I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than my risk of ovarian cancer, and the surgery is more complex," Jolie wrote. She said that on April 27 she completed the three months of medical procedures that the mastectomies involved. Jolie said her chances of developing breast cancer are now down to five per cent. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted and three biological children. "I can tell my children they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer," Jolie said." I am not the star gazing and worshiping type. Yet I have to admit that she is an attractive and accomplished actress that I like. This is especially against her wilder younger days and the matured state-womanly celebrity with some good things for others to look up to today! Lessons for me are: 1. a brave lady who cuts off 2 assets that most women in her line of business would rather die than shed! She can afford it as she does not need to sell her sexuality as she can act very well besides being a unique beauty!; 2. her trust in medical science is scary as she did it based on some research results that say she has a faulty gene that predisposed her to developing breast and ovarian cancers! I am not sure if I will do that though such technology has been touted for a while now. In fact, one of my buddies said one of the wife of Google's founders funded a lot of research in this area and even sell a product/kit that help people chart their genes to see if they are having something that Angelina is writing about!; 3. most importantly, she is using her fame for some good in a rather unfortunate circumstance. Make the best of the worst situation if you like. Hopefully other breast cancer patients who have reservation about removing their cancered breasts due to 'these are my sexuality' mindset can be persuaded or convinced or won over by Angelina's public disclosure. If Hollywood's hottest goddesses can go for a double mastectomy, anyone breast cancer patients should have no qualm about it! Good on you Angelina. May you have a long happy and productive life!