Angelina Jolie Writes About Her Preventive Surgeries

Medical decisions can range from controversial and dangerous to embarrassing or uncomfortable, especially when you are a celebrity forced to live life in society’s spotlight. I remember clearly when I learned Angelina Jolie Pitt underwent a preventive double mastectomy. I considered her brave, and I remember being a dumbfounded by all of the media coverage and resulting controversy. After another intensely private and courageous decision, Angelina recently elected to have another preventive surgery that removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes. In a beautifully honest Op-Ed article for The New York Times, Jolie Pitt shared her own story in hopes that other women might find solace and courage in making such tough decisions themselves.

Angelina’s mother passed away at 56 after battling cancer for years, and when told that she had an 87 percent of contracting breast cancer and 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer, Jolie Pitt knew that she would take the preventive steps necessary to live a long and healthy life for her children.

When she had her double mastectomy, she went through three months of medical procedures in private, but then decided to write about her experience for The New York Times in hope that other women could benefit from her experience. She wrote, “Cancer is still a word that strikes fear into people’s hearts, producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are highly susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and then take action.”

Although her ovaries did not show signs of any tumors, experts recommended she still undergo the procedure to remove both her ovaries and fallopian tubes. As a mother, Jolie Pitt knew that this would impact her both emotionally and physically, as the surgery would force her into menopause and make it impossible for her to bear children in the future.

Jolie Pitt’s courage in taking action for her future livelihood is matched only in the bravery in writing about it so publicly in The New York Times. Jolie Pitt found solace in the support of both her children and her family. When she was alerted to the possible early stages of ovarian cancer a few weeks ago, husband Brad Pitt immediately flew to her side. Jolie wrote, “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.”

Angelina’s story demonstrates the need for women to become more knowledgeable about their own health and their own risks. “Knowledge is power,” Jolie Pitt states, and she has shared her story so that others can learn about options, make educated choices, and understand that cancer can be prevented. With the support of loved ones, the knowledge to take care of yourself and seek the help you need, and the desire to be there for your children as long as possible, make even the most difficult of medical decisions even just a little bit easier to handle.

Featured Photo: Shutterstock

Samantha Middleton

My first love is for coffee, and my second for bookstores. I love buying books but not always reading them, identify as a true snow bunny, and find nothing more centering than meditation that seems to always turn into a nap. Writing is a fearful passion of mine but also a source of great joy, especially when that writing involves a delicious recipe or a good pun.