Katie Thurston Tearfully Admits She Is Struggling to Stay ‘Positive’ Amid Breast Cancer Battle

An emotional Katie Thurston opened up about her mental state as she fights cancer.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, September 30, the former Bachelorette, 34, cried as she spoke to fans about how she is coping after being diagnosed with breast cancer in February.

“Tomorrow is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I’m, like, totally crashing out if I’m being so for real,” Thurston said in the social media video. ““I don’t know what I’m even saying, guys. I just want to be so honest. I know I seem positive sometimes but it’s very hard to be positive.”

Thurston, who first rose to fame after competing for Matt James’ affection on The Bachelor in 2021, explained that her breast cancer journey has proven unpredictable.

“I was very much looking forward to, like, the end of the year, kind of being my final push and then it’s smooth sailing,” she said in the clip. “You know, like, treatment’s working, things are good. Instead, it’s like I’m hurting my liver, I’m lowering my dose of medication, I’ve postponed my surgery, which I haven’t even talked about yet.” (Thurston said in a September 19 Instagram post that she had scheduled a double mastectomy “in November.”)

While Thurston did not expand on her surgery plans, she did confirm that she will undergo her “next scans” in two weeks, which will coincide with some much-needed family time.

“My mom and my niece are coming into town for that, so that’ll be good because Jeff [Arcuri] is gone, [adding] a whole other layer,” Thurston said, referring to her comedian husband who is currently touring throughout Australia.

The reality star, who served as the season 17 Bachelorette in 2021, has been extremely candid via social media during the past week, sharing a tearful post on Friday, September 26, that discussed online speculation over her mortality. The speculation was sparked after a fake obituary for Thurston that circulated online.

“I literally wanted to take time away from social media, but then I was getting, like, texts from people I don’t normally hear from,” Thurston said via Friday’s Instagram Story. “Then, I got DMs from people, and everyone’s like, ‘Are you OK?’”

She continued, “I’ve seen this article go around before, but something about tonight really f***ing pisses me off. It’s, like, triggering, and I try to report it. There’s just nothing I can do, and I just feel helpless. I’m just so mad right now. Like, if anyone works at Facebook [or] has any suggestion on what I can do, please tell me.”

In February, Thurston revealed she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a small lump. “I discovered it myself. Thought maybe it was my period [or] maybe it was muscle soreness from working out,” she said via a social media post. “But, eventually, this lump never went away.”

One month later, Thurston and Arcuri, 37, tied the knot, as exclusively confirmed by Us Weekly just following the March 22 nuptials. In the days that followed, Thurston’s cancer was revealed to have spread to her liver and she was given a stage 4 diagnosis.