The Bachelorette star Katie Thurston is courageously navigating a challenging health journey after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at age 34. Initially diagnosed with stage 3 triple-positive breast cancer, further testing revealed that the cancer had spread to her liver, advancing it to stage 4. Despite the gravity of her diagnosis, Thurston remains determined to fight. And she recently received good news regarding having a lower risk of developing another type of cancer.
‘The Bachelorette’ star Katie Thurston says she has a ‘decreased’ risk of developing ovarian cancer
Katie Thurston continues to share her cancer story with Bachelor Nation. The Bachelorette star’s diagnosis came after she noticed a lump in her breast, which she initially dismissed as a minor issue. Upon further examination, she learned it was invasive ductal carcinoma, a common form of breast cancer. This revelation shifted her life plans, including postponing her wedding and reevaluating her future with fiancé Jeff Arcuri.
Thurston’s treatment plan includes chemotherapy and a potential mastectomy. She has also undergone fertility preservation through IVF to safeguard her ability to have children in the future. Thurston has emphasized the importance of self-advocacy and early detection throughout her journey. Now, she has some positive news.
“People commented on my photo saying they could tell I was crying. It was a good cry,” she revealed, according to TV Shows Ace. “Genetic counselor told me my long-term birth control use likely decreased my chances at ovarian cancer. Nice to get good news for once.”
Thurston was taking hormonal birth control before her breast cancer diagnosis. However, since the diagnosis, she switched to a non-hormonal method. While speaking on The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast, she revealed that she questioned whether her birth control had a hand in her breast cancer development.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “I think a lot of women when diagnosed go like, ‘What did I do? It wasn’t my birth control? Should I have been vegan? Should I have been vegetarian? Was it my makeup?’ You start trying to psychoanalyze everything that you’ve ever done in your life and blame yourself.”
Katie Thurston shared updates regarding her IVF journey amid cancer treatment
In the face of her stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis, Katie Thurston prioritized fertility preservation to safeguard her future family aspirations. Before commencing her treatment, she and her fiancé, Jeff Arcuri, underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF), resulting in the retrieval of six embryos. This proactive step was crucial, as certain cancer treatments can impact fertility.
“I thought I’d share the outcome of embryo freezing,” Thurston posted to her Instagram Stories, according to E! News. “We retrieved 17 eggs and attempted to fertilize them. Of the 17, only six were successfully fertilized.”
The Bachelorette star noted that the six fertilized eggs would become blastocysts — the early stage of an embryo. “And after genetic testing,” she said, “we have two embryos we were able to freeze, one Grade B and one Grade C. This is the reality of IVF.”
‘The Bachelorette’ star discussed the ‘high highs’ and ‘low lows’ of the disease
Katie Thurston got candid about her cancer diagnosis while speaking to Emmanuel Acho.
“It comes and goes,” she said of her feelings. “It’s very high highs and very low lows. And maybe that balances out to be this grounded. But, like I said, in private, it’s a very different story. It’s hard to watch yourself in a way you’ve never experienced. I’ll look in the mirror, and I’ll say, ‘Is this the cancer? Do I look this way because of the cancer? Am I tired? It this just aging?’ You start almost looking at everything under a microscope, you know? And you’re irritable. Like, ‘Is this the medication? Is this just normal life?’ It’s exhausting.”
Despite the exhaustion, Thurston said she has to “have the right mindset to make it out.”
“I think mindset is everything,” she explained.
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