'I had the same surgery as Angelina Jolie. And I do not want your sympathy.'

Read more: Angelina Jolie reveals she had a double mastectomy. 

Yesterday Jolie took her final preventative step against ovarian cancer. She removed her ovaries and Fallopian tubes. I have had a similar surgery myself.

What’s incredible about Angelina Jolie sharing this information is that right now there are thousands of women around the world reading the information Angelina has highlighted. Many conversations will be started.

So I am hoping that my story, like Angelina’s, will inspire you to turn this awareness into action.

My mum and nan were very open and honest with me from a young age about their own cancer journies. Let’s face it, for a young woman to be the only one with breasts, nipples and ovaries in her family, I knew something was up.

The cause of all the cancer in my family was the same genetic mutation as Angelina Jolie’s – BRCA. This flaw in my DNA became a big problem. My mother and grandmother carried the gene, and didn’t know. My mum was only 36 when she was diagnosed… My nan spent three decades of her life fighting cancer until her last diagnosis became too much July last year.

Everyone has these BRCA genes. However, if there’s a fault or mutation in one of them, the risk of breast cancer is high. Carrying a BRCA gene fault puts a women at a dramatically increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer – up to 87% for breast cancer and up to 60% for ovarian cancer over her lifetime.

I decided, at 22, that I would get tested and find out where I stood. I was the first woman in my family to have this gift of knowledge and as overwhelming as it was at times (there were copious amounts of chamomile tea at night trying to sleep while I was dealing with this new reality, pregnant) I was determined to be the last woman to be diagnosed if I could help it.

So at 25 years old I had my breasts surgically removed rather than live with the terrible fear of cancer. It wasn’t easy, multiple surgeries, recovery and cuddling the kids with two rocks for breasts was near impossible for a few weeks…. But it reduced my risk of breast cancer from being a near certainty to being very unlikely.

And it was the best decision I ever made.

When I considered the chemo, the surgery, the fear and anxiety that the women in my family had faced… I feel like my preventative surgeries were the easier route, and the most logical given my family history and gene fault diagnosis.

In 2013 when Angelina announced her preventative mastectomy – I knew in that one moment it would change the cause around the globe. And now she has done it again.

Four months ago I was chatting with Angelina and her husband Brad Pitt (yes the actual people, not just a picture on my wall) at the Unbroken premiere in Sydney. We talked about my recent Ovarian preventative surgery and my recovery and they were asking so interested in knowing more. Here was Angelina – who no doubt has a huge team of medical professionals supporting her – chatting with a suburban Sydney mum about her personal perspective.

I hope she looked at me and thought that the idea of her own ovarian preventative surgery was a little less daunting. I hope she thought I looked happy and well.

Preventative surgery is not the right decision for everyone. But what is is understanding your risk and taking control. That’s the best message that can come from Angelina’s story.

Globally it is thought we have only touched the tip of the ice berg in terms of finding the women and men who potentially carry genetic predispositions to cancer. And as genetic testing, screening and treatment progresses so will our understand and knowledge.

So as you read and nod and sympathise, stop. The conversations that Angelina has started need to turn into action.

Stop and ask yourself these three questions:

1. How many people in my family have had cancer?
2. What type of cancer?
3. What age were they when they were diagnosed?

These three questions start a conversation, and can offer any healthcare professional the information they would need to better access your risk. It enables you to sit in the driver’s seat of your own health… Empowering you with knowledge and options if you are found to be at risk of any type of cancers.

Get off the computer. Put down the phone. Call your sister, your cousin, your dad, your mum and start investigating your family health history.

You are the only one that can advocate for your own health. I just hope Angelina Jolie – and I – have inspired you enough to get more information, be empowered and if you find out you are at risk…. Know you are not alone.

Krystal’s family carries the BRCA1 gene fault and more than twenty women in her family have been diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer including her Mum who was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 36, her nan at 44 and her great grandma at 68. Within a short period of time Krystal’s company Pink Hope is testament to the impact generations of cancer have on a family and it is the charity that will rise and shine everyday to better the lives of families like Krystal’s.

You can contact her here.

Have you been through a life changing surgery like this one?