Katie Thurston is offering a poignant glimpse into her ongoing battle against cancer. Nearly three months after the former Bachelorette star revealed her diagnosis of stage three breast cancer, which has unfortunately escalated to stage four, she has opened up about the profound impact her treatment is having on her body in a May 6 Instagram Story video.
"My sleep has been a mess due to the medically induced menopause I'm now experiencing, complete with scorching hot flashes," Katie confessed. "My medication leaves me desperately dehydrated, with lips that feel like they've been chapped for an eternity."
As the reality TV personality, who captivated audiences during season 17 of the dating show, continues her cancer treatment regimen, including hormone therapy, she emphasizes the paramount importance of staying hydrated now more than ever.
"It's a relentless game of catch-up, striving to ensure I get enough water—something I was already struggling with before starting medication," Katie admitted. "Now, forcing myself to drink water has become a daily struggle."
Despite the 34-year-old, who tied the knot with Jeff Arcuri earlier this year, approaching her diagnosis with resilience, she candidly discusses the harsh realities that come with a cancer diagnosis.
"There's this relentless countdown in my mind: 'How long will I be on this medication? When's my next scan to see what's happening?'" she revealed on Emmanuel Acho's podcast, Uncomfortable Conversations, last month. "It's perplexing because, at the end of the day, we're all mortal."
"Each day is a precious gift, but the weight of a diagnosis makes you feel like you're perpetually glancing over your shoulder," she continued. "All I want is to find mental peace so I can truly live."
Amid this challenging journey, Katie and Jeff made the heart-wrenching decision to freeze their embryos before her treatments began. However, like many IVF journeys, theirs was fraught with complications.
"I wanted to share the results of our embryo freezing," she posted on her Instagram Stories in March. "Out of 17 eggs retrieved and attempted to fertilize, only six were successful. But then, they had to reach the blastocyst stage. Only three made it that far. After genetic testing, we were left with two embryos to freeze—one Grade B and one Grade C. This is the harsh reality of IVF."
She also revealed that they have contemplated the possibility of surrogacy in the future.
"Jeff and I talked about the priority of my health and agreed that surrogacy will likely be our best option when the time comes," she explained on Instagram. "Let's stop judging celebrities who choose surrogacy because you don't know their personal struggles."
