Angelina Jolie has dropped another bombshell New York Times op-ed on all of us, just like she did two years ago when she announced that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. At that time, she explained that she carried the same faulty BRCA1 gene that likely runs in her family (her mother, grandmother and aunt all died from cancer). Jolie announced her double mastectomy in May 2013, at the tailend of her surgical process, and explained that she had undergone the preventative measure because doctors told her that her breast cancer risk was much higher than her risk for ovarian cancer, and that more preventative surgeries could wait. Well, in this morning’s op-ed, Jolie describes getting a bad blood test back and deciding to go ahead with the surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

You can read Jolie’s new op-ed here. It’s emotional and well-written, and you can tell that she’s making all of her decisions with not only her mother in mind, but her children too. She talks candidly about making the decision to undergo the surgery that will put her through menopause. It sounds like Brad was there for her through every step, yet again:

Then two weeks ago I got a call from my doctor with blood-test results. “Your CA-125 is normal,” he said. I breathed a sigh of relief. That test measures the amount of the protein CA-125 in the blood, and is used to monitor ovarian cancer. I have it every year because of my family history. But that wasn’t all. He went on. “There are a number of inflammatory markers that are elevated, and taken together they could be a sign of early cancer.” I took a pause. “CA-125 has a 50 to 75 percent chance of missing ovarian cancer at early stages,” he said. He wanted me to see the surgeon immediately to check my ovaries.

I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt. I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.

I called my husband in France, who was on a plane within hours. The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful.

That same day I went to see the surgeon, who had treated my mother. I last saw her the day my mother passed away, and she teared up when she saw me: “You look just like her.” I broke down. But we smiled at each other and agreed we were there to deal with any problem, so “let’s get on with it.”

[From NYT]

Angelina spends some time repeating this too: “There is more than one way to deal with any health issue. The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally.” I think she was unfairly slammed for “encouraging” women to undergo mastectomies two years ago when really she was just trying to talk about the personal choices she was making and encouraging a larger conversation about women’s health. She finishes her essay by writing that she had undergone the final part of her surgery and she is now in menopause:

Last week, I had the procedure: a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. There was a small benign tumor on one ovary, but no signs of cancer in any of the tissues. I have a little clear patch that contains bio-identical estrogen. A progesterone IUD was inserted in my uterus. It will help me maintain a hormonal balance, but more important it will help prevent uterine cancer. I chose to keep my uterus because cancer in that location is not part of my family history.

It is not possible to remove all risk, and the fact is I remain prone to cancer. I will look for natural ways to strengthen my immune system. I feel feminine, and grounded in the choices I am making for myself and my family. I know my children will never have to say, “Mom died of ovarian cancer.”

Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause. I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.

I feel deeply for women for whom this moment comes very early in life, before they have had their children. Their situation is far harder than mine. I inquired and found out that there are options for women to remove their fallopian tubes but keep their ovaries, and so retain the ability to bear children and not go into menopause. I hope they can be aware of that. It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power.

[From The NYT]

I remember reading pieces from women who had undergone mastectomies and how they said it was so powerful that Jolie had said that she still felt feminine and beautiful. I imagine the same thing will happen with this – she’s still the same woman, just in early menopause and with a significantly decreased cancer risk. Jolie is so badass. I love her.

Photos courtesy of WENN.