Like most of the women in my family, I carry the BRCA2 gene mutation, which means that if I did nothing, my risk of developing breast cancer at some point in my life would be around 85 percent. I’d seen firsthand what that looks like; my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and two aunts have all battled breast cancer. My future, it seemed, had already been cast.

So after learning I could lower my risk of getting breast cancer to under 3% by having a double mastectomy, it felt as close to a no-brainer as a major surgery can get. Even though I’m only 39 and my recent mammogram, ultrasound, and breast MRI were all clear, I knew taking control of my health and being proactive was the right choice for me. So on the day of my surgery last October, I walked into the hospital smiling, empowered, and ready.

I had no idea that on the day of my preventive double mastectomy, I was also walking into the hospital as a woman already living with breast cancer.

Not a Previvor After All

It’s standard procedure to test the breast tissue removed during a preventive mastectomy because in a small percentage of cases, doctors find previously undetected cancerous tissue already present. My chest was still fully bandaged with a faucet of bright red fluid pouring out of my sides through drains when I received a call from my doctor: I was one of those rare cases.

“You had breast cancer,” she told me. I couldn’t comprehend her words.

My doctor explained that I had stage zero noninvasive breast cancer (DCIS), meaning my cancer had not spread into the surrounding breast tissue. The good news? The double mastectomy I’d just had meant that I was now cancer-free—no chemo, radiation, or hormonal treatment necessary. I had beaten breast cancer before I even knew I had it.

At first I felt like I was free falling. I’d had breast cancer. Watching generations of women in my family wage their battles did not prepare me for hearing those words myself. A million thoughts raced through my mind and I couldn’t hold on to any of them. I had been so prepared for my preventive mastectomy—doing research, setting up calls with other women who'd had my surgery, taking vitamins and supplements—and now I was at a loss. I wasn’t a previvor; suddenly I was a full-blown cancer survivor. I was completely caught off guard.

When I first found out I was BRCA positive, I didn’t tell anyone for months. I wanted to make a decision on whether to have surgery without being swayed by the experiences, fears, and opinions of others—it’s a major surgery and I wanted to consider it carefully. Even after I made my decision, there were family members and friends who still continued to question me. But at the end of the day, I knew down to my bones that removing my seemingly healthy breasts was the right decision for me.

Thank God I listened to my intuition. My doctor explained that because my breast cancer did not display with calcifications (which is medical-speak for the common way this type of cancer is detected in its early stages), the only way we could have caught it when we did was through my elective preventive surgery. The timing was mind-blowing.

Saving My Own Life

A friend called me the luckiest girl in the world, but this isn’t about luck—it’s about preventive action. And this lesson isn’t just about me. It’s about all of us. Being proactive and vigilant about your health makes a difference. My experience is a testament to this.

I know now more than ever that we truly are our own best health advocates. Some may not understand—and, let’s be real, may even judge—our health choices. Women’s bodies are a political battleground currently under siege, and on top of that, we’re forced to deal with the cultural and societal judgments lobbed at us on a daily basis. After my surgery, while I was still connected to an IV with an oxygen tube in my nose, my hospital nurse started lecturing me on the importance of breastfeeding children, knowing I had just removed both of my breasts. After I was home recovering, a troll commented on one of my Instagram posts in which I described how hard it had been to take my first solo shower. He called my mastectomy a “free boob job.” Show me a woman who has undergone a double mastectomy just to get a pair of implants and I’ll give you a million dollars.

We don’t always find definitive proof that the surgeries we endure, the screenings we undergo, the tests we take, the dietary and lifestyle habits we shift, and the relationships we walk away from make any difference in our health and well-being. But to anyone wondering if going to great lengths, or even just going out of your way, to prioritize your health and healing is worth it, let my experience reassure you that it is.

If I hadn’t proactively asked to take a BRCA test because of my family history, and then had preventive surgery that caught my undetected cancer, my story would have turned out very differently. If I hadn’t arranged for my whole family to test for the BRCA gene mutation after finding out my results, their stories might be different too. I’m not here to say that every woman with a family history of breast cancer should have a preventive mastectomy—the choices we make about our bodies as women are ours and ours alone. I am here to advocate for arming ourselves with information so we can make informed, empowered choices. Even if I’d decided against the mastectomy, the heightened level of screening I was undergoing because I had tested BRCA positive would most likely have led to early detection.

Information is power. That’s why I founded The Well Woman Coalition—to empower women of color to have agency over their own health and healing through awareness, education, and advocacy. Regardless of what you choose to do with your health information, making informed and empowered choices can save your life.

So set a reminder and get that yearly mammogram. Do a monthly self breast exam. Take that genetic test. Follow up on that irregular Pap smear. Push for the extra blood work just in case or for a referral to a specialist if you still have questions. You are not exaggerating. You are not health-obsessed. You are not paranoid. You are saving your life.

I now know, undeniably, that I saved my own.

Alejandra Campoverdi is the former deputy director of Hispanic media for the Obama administration, a previous congressional candidate for California's 34th District, and founder of the Well Woman Coalition. Follow her at @acampoverdi.

Originally Appeared on Glamour