( CNN ) In 2007 I had my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to prevent my getting ovarian cancer . It was a surgery of the kind that Angelina Jolie recently underwent , as she revealed Tuesday in a New York Times op-ed . Two years ago , Jolie divulged that she 'd had a prophylactic double mastectomy -- I had done this as well , in 2012 . Along with the effects of the surgeries themselves , we now also share a related fallout : surgical menopause . This change can be big and , for me , happened almost immediately . There is little easing into it : the age-inappropriate night sweats , hot flashes , weight gain , mood swings . When I had my ovaries removed at age 37 , I suddenly felt less vibrant and beautiful , and instead experienced the slow creep of feeling old . What will this transition mean to someone like Jolie , so identified for her attractiveness and glamour ? ( She may keep that part of her transformation private , but -- as with her disclosures about the surgeries -- it might do some good to discuss that , as well . ) I 've been talking and writing about BRCA1 since I learned more than 10 years ago that I carried this insidious , inherited genetic mutation . I 've discussed how these operations have affected my relationship with my husband and our two children . But often it takes someone as public , as gorgeous , as famous as Ms. Jolie to powerfully move the conversation about cancer prevention surgeries forward . Her transparency helps normalize the experience of women considering their own options . It chips away at the stigma surrounding this treatment decision and offers women a new shorthand for explaining such a difficult choice to their families . When I underwent each of my surgeries a few friends looked at me sideways . They were n't familiar with BRCA and or how surgery could statistically reduce my chances of developing cancer . Now Ms. Jolie has changed this . Her willingness to share such intimate experiences means more people will become educated and more BRCA survivors will feel free to speak of their scars . And there are many resources for BRCA-positive women . In June , I will be speaking at the annual FORCE conference ( Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered ) , which has partnered with another wonderful organization , the Basser Research Center for BRCA ( part of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania ) . Both are leading the way in the scientific research and understanding of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers . They also provide resources around risk assessment , prevention , early detection , treatment , and survivorship , as well as links to chat rooms and local support groups . It 's not often a writer finds her circumstances so closely in sync with a Hollywood star . But I like to think Ms. Jolie and I , two women who truly have nothing in common , are linked in our determination to be proactive . We have looked fear in the face and made the only decisions that made sense for our families and our selves .
Like Angelina Jolie , Allison Gilbert had two preventive cancer surgeries to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes and later her breasts . Gilbert : " I was very fortunate that my doctors were able to save me from having a hysterectomy.