'Bachelorette' alum Katie Thurston reveals memory loss amid breast cancer battle
Katie Thurston, former star of "The Bachelorette," is opening up about a challenging side effect she's experiencing amid her breast cancer treatment.
In an emotional Instagram video shared Sunday, Thurston, 34, revealed she's been struggling with memory loss after completing her second month of breast cancer treatment.
Back in March, she shared on "Good Morning America" that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 triple-positive ductal carcinoma, a type of cancer where tumor cells have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors on their surface, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
In her latest update, Thurston noted that her breast cancer had spread to her liver, making it Stage 4.
"After finishing two months of my medication, my hair is coming out in an unnatural amount of clumps… I'm losing my memory," she said. "Going through customs and them being like, 'where are you coming from?' And I looked at them, I was like, 'I don't remember.'"
Thurston, who tied the knot with comedian Jeff Arcuri in March, said the memory lapse even sparked a minor disagreement with her husband.
"I think this has happened before. He's like, 'when?' I was like, 'I don't know, but I know it has,'" she recalled, adding that they have been able to find light in the situation.
"We're able to laugh about it now," she continued. "Cancer is s---. Sometimes I'm like, 'Stop feeling bad for yourself.' Other times I'm like, 'You're allowed to feel bad for yourself. Cancer f------ sucks.'"
Thurston also shared that her current medication, a hormonal therapy known as Zoladex, didn't effectively suppress her ovarian hormones production, which led to an unexpected period. As a result, her doctors are switching her to Lupron.
"And if that doesn't work, I have to get my ovaries taken out," she said.
She said she remains "optimistic about medical advancements in the future," even though she said her treatment may be required long-term, if not lifelong given that her breast cancer is now stage 4.
"But anyway, it's National Cancer Survivors Day," she added. "And you know, every day that I'm alive, I'm a survivor, so go me. I guess."
During the interview with "GMA" earlier this year, Thurston shared that she initially dismissed a small lump on her breast, assuming it was related to her menstrual cycle but when she eventually sought medical care, she was ultimately diagnosed with cancer.
Thurston said she hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to prioritize their breast health including routine cancer screening.
"I think that's the biggest takeaway, is telling people like, 'Don't wait,' you know, 'Be proactive, get checked out,'" she said at the time. "You could be doing yourself a favor in the future."
