LA Times reporter discusses her preventive mastectomy

With today's news that Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy to greatly reduce her chance of cancer, Los Angeles Times reporter Anna Gorman revisits on the Times website her earlier surgery. She first wrote about her double mastectomy and having the BRCA 1 mutation back in 2007. From today's web story:

Nearly five years later, my scars have faded and I don’t often think about what I had to do. Most people don't know I had my breasts removed -- I look the same, even in a swimsuit. I simply live my life, without the fear of being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. And I am able to celebrate Mother's Day without worrying about my health or about future Mother's Days.

Occasionally, my daughters ask me about my scars. I simply tell them that I had surgery so I can be their mommy for a very, very long time.

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been in the news over the last several years. TV medical dramas have taken up the issue, and books have been written. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about whether the BRCA genes can be patented.

But when someone like Angelina Jolie writes about her personal experience with this deadly genetic mutation, it raises awareness about the experiences of so many women like me. It helps people understand why we make these drastic decisions. It also inspires women with a family history of these cancers to get BRCA testing and to talk to their doctors about whether to have the surgeries.

The Times also scheduled a midday online chat with Gorman.