'You show up or you die': Bachelorette star Katie Thurston discusses cancer diagnosis she was 'not prepared' for

Thurston, who starred in season 17 of The Bachelorette in 2021, admitted that when she first noticed a small lump on one of her breasts she initially dismissed it as something harmless, even though it is a common symptom of breast cancer.

She said that when she then got her diagnosis she was “so devastated.” Thurston told ABC News' Eva Pilgrim in an interview that aired on Good Morning America on Wednesday (March 19). “It's so shocking. As a 34-year-old woman, it's just, you're not prepared."

She went on: "When I felt my lump, it was sore, and as women were used to being told like ‘oh, it's it's probably their time of the month,' or ‘oh, it's from working out,' so I brushed it off for a while. And then finally I decided to go to the doctor."

After seeking medical care, Thurston said she was diagnosed with a type of breast cancer called Stage 3 triple positive ductal carcinoma. The diagnosis meant the reality TV star would need to undergo chemotherapy before she could have the cancerous tumour removed.

Speaking of her breast cancer treatment, she said: "You're on, like, survival mode. Like, you don't have a choice -- you show up, or you die. And I hate to say it that way, but, like . . . every day you have an appointment, every day you have to show up. You don't have a choice."

Thurston received her diagnosis in February, just a few months after she became engaged to comedian Jeff Acuri. She said her diagnosis meant that instead of planning their wedding, the couple are now planning for their future in a different way.

"We thought we'd be planning a wedding. We thought we'd be trying for a baby," she said. "And instead, we know that this year is really dedicated to just treatment and getting better."

She added that she chose to harvest her eggs following her diagnosis, which she announced to her fans on Saturday February 15, in case she and Acuri try to have a child together in the future. "We've done everything we can to be, you know, proactive for our future and our family plans," she said, adding that she and Acuri are also okay if their proactive steps ultimately don't work. "But in the event that IVF didn't work out, in the event that chemo did impact me in a negative way when it comes to my reproductive health, we're also OK being a childless couple."

Writing on Instagram, she said: “Yesterday I saw all the couples post their Valentines Day celebrations. I felt envious if I’m being honest. Jeff took me to Hawaii and after, we were going to travel the world before planting roots together in NYC finally. But instead, my Vday was spent coordinating a place to live as I have to go back to LA for more testing and treatment.

“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. I experienced a range of emotions over the past two weeks. Despair. Anger. Sadness. Denial. And then strength. Purposeful. Ready. I cried a lot. I tried to even make a video instead of this post and couldn’t.”

Adding a sweet note for of appreciation for her fiancé, she said: “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.”

Thurston shot to fame after appearing as a contestant on the 25th season of The Bachelor in 2021. She returned to the US reality franchise as The Bachelorette in the 17th season of the show later that same year. The star also told Pilgrim that she hopes sharing her story encourages people to be proactive about their own breast health. "I think that's the biggest takeaway, is telling people like ‘don't wait,' you know, ‘be proactive, get checked out’. You could be doing yourself a favour in the future."