The story of Angelina Jolie Pitt going public about having her ovaries removed voluntarily has hit a raw nerve with many people. What is surprising (maybe not) are the negative comments and vitriol. It was brave of her to go public. I applaud her honesty and courage.

She received a call from her doctor two weeks ago with results from a recent blood test she does annually. As she wrote in a New York Times op-ed piece published on Tuesday, the doctor told her that the test results showed inflammatory markers that could be a sign of early cancer. It’s a crapshoot on whether to just monitor it or decide on preventive surgery.

Angelina lost her mother to ovarian cancer at the age of 49; her grandmother and her aunt died from cancer as well.  She had a preventive double mastectomy two years ago to reduce her risks of getting cancer after testing found she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation. This personal history prompted her to decide on preventive surgery twice. Removing her ovaries is going to be a harder process to get through however.

My testing for BRCA1 gene mutation was negative and yet I received a breast cancer diagnosis twice. Early stage each time, but considered aggressive. This has changed my perspective on everything and how I choose to live my life. My lifestyle includes natural ways to keep my immune system strong to help prevent cancer from rearing its ugly head again.

An important conversation has been brought out in the open for debate. Each situation is unique. She understands that the surgeries won’t remove all cancer risks and plans to strengthen her immune system naturally as well. At the end of the day, it was her choice.