Angelina Jolie isn't the first person to undergo a double-mastectomy to stop breast cancer before it starts.
Angie Jackson from Broken Arrow went through the same procedure after finding a pre-cancerous lump on her breast at age 27. Jackson says, "It was either do it now or risk having to go through chemo and radiation and all of that other stuff within a few years."
The decision was easy, Jackson says, after watching her mom fight breast cancer. Jackson says, "Seeing what she had to go through was terrifying and horrible and awful."
Jackson says dealing with body image and self esteem issues has been the hardest part of her journey. She also has to deal with not being able to breast feed any future children.
Since the surgery, Jackson has had no regrets. Jackson says, "Having that fear completely erased is a huge weight off my shoulders."
Support from family and friends has been abundant. Jackson says her family cared for her when she was laid up in bed for a week and a half after her surgery. Friends from her church also came over to help cook and do laundry for weeks when Jackson was not allowed to lift anything heavier than 5 lbs.