Former 'Bachelorette' star Katie Thurston reveals breast cancer diagnosis
Katie Thurston, who starred on the 17th season of "The Bachelorette," revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The television personality made the announcement in a lengthy Instagram post on Saturday, detailing her battle thus far.
"Life update: I have breast cancer," Thurston began her post.
"Yesterday I saw all the couples post their Valentines Day celebrations. I felt envious if I’m being honest," she wrote.
She said she had plans to travel with her fiancé, comedian Jeff Arcuri. "Instead, my Vday was spent coordinating a place to live as I have to go back to LA for more testing and treatment," she wrote.
She continued, detailing the complicated logistics that go into fighting cancer. "I used my morning to figure out insurance for NYC and laws on preexisting conditions. I scheduled appointments for another biopsy, fertility, mental health, surgery, as well as meeting with my team to discuss the overall treatment plan, which will include chemo," she wrote.
Thurston said the emotions she has felt over the last two weeks were "Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready."
She added one thing that has helped her during this time has been researching the stories of other women battling breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, mastectomies, and pregnancy after breast cancer.
"All of their stories helped. So I intend to be the same for others," she wrote. "This is day one of sharing and is going to be a long one. This first step of acceptance of my reality was the hardest. But I am ready to fight this."
Thurston concluded by thanking her fiancé for his support throughout her battle. "And I saved the best for last. To my extraordinary husband to be @jarcuri- I don’t know how I’d do this without you. The selfless love that you smother me in is beyond anything I imagined I’d be blessed with. I love you to the fullest in this lifetime and the next," she finished.
Thurston shared photos of the couple's engagement in a recent September social media post, writing "When you know, you know."
Thurston's 2021 appearance on "The Bachelorette" concluded in an engagement to Blake Moynes, though the pair announced they split up in October of 2021.
