The Bachelorette Season 17 star Katie Thurston is waging a battle against breast cancer. On March 24, Katie shared some disappointing news.
The Renton, Washington native announced her cancer diagnosis last month on Instagram. But just days ago, Katie shared that her cancer may be moving faster than previously thought. When her liver showed signs of the disease, doctors realized she may have moved from stage 3 to stage 4.
Her treatment is currently on pause, awaiting further test results.
Bachelorette Katie Thurston says spots were found on her liver amid breast cancer battle
“My biopsy is scheduled Friday which would have been my treatment day,” Katie wrote on March 24. “We now wait.”
“[The doctor] seemed to be leaning more on the cancer in the liver vs. optimistic it was nothing,” she added. “This would put me at stage 4. I’d love to hear from my sisters who are stage 4 in terms of quality of life, motherhood, etc.”
On her Instagram channel, “Boobie Broadcast,” Katie shared that doctors had discovered “two liver lesions,” measuring up to 1.4 cm, which were likely a sign of “metastatic disease.” Although she’s tired, nauseous, and in pain from her treatments, Katie remains optimistic that her biopsy results will be good.
Trying to maintain a positive attitude, she laughed that she feels “like a voodoo doll with all the pokes I’ve been getting.”
When she first got the cancer diagnosis in February, it wasn’t until two weeks later that Katie was ready to share the news publicly. After taking the time to process her diagnosis, she shared a lengthy Instagram post announcing, “Live Update: I have breast cancer.”
The marketing manager explained she had experienced a “range of emotions … Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready. I cried a lot. I even tried to make a video instead of this post and couldn’t.”
She concluded the lengthy post saying, “This first step of acceptance … was the hardest. But I am ready to fight this.”
Her purpose in going public is to help others going through the same experience. In addition to supporting cancer awareness, Katie has also spoken out in support of sexual assault survivors.
Bachelorette Katie Thurston has her new husband by her side as she faces cancer battle
In the midst of her cancer treatment, Katie has a new husband at her side. She married comedian Jeff Arcuri on March 22. Now she’s looking into ways of preserving her fertility in hopes of having a family someday. She’s currently undergoing hormone shots in preparation for harvesting and freezing her eggs.
Never in a million years did Katie see any of this coming. “As a 34-year-old woman it’s just – you’re not prepared,” she told Good Morning America in the above video. Katie underwent a previous lumpectomy in her 20s, which turned out to be benign.
“You’re on, like, survival mode,” she added. “Like, you don’t have a choice. You show up or you die. And I hate to say it that way, but like you just – every day you have an appointment. Every day you have to show up. You don’t have a choice.”
The Bachelorette is available for streaming on Hulu.
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