Bachelorette star Katie Thurston found out earlier this year that she has breast cancer. In a shocking misdiagnosis, she was told her cancer was Stage 3, only to find out that it was Stage 4 and had spread to her liver. She’s currently on a regimen of oral medications instead of chemotherapy.
An alternate treatment to traditional chemotherapy may sound like a win, but the side effects are very similar. Katie Thurston recently opened up about struggling with the cancer symptoms and the treatment side effects.
Katie Thurston Is In Medical Menopause At 34
In addition to oral medication, the Bachelorette star gets a monthly hormone-blocking injection. The injections are essential in preventing the cancer from spreading. However, the injections come with a hefty price: medical menopause. Katie Thurston was advised by her doctors that it would endanger her life to get pregnant. Now she literally can’t even if she wanted to.
After several failed reality TV relationships, she married comedian Jeff Arcuri in March, shortly after the shocking cancer diagnosis. Katie Thurston has been open about being on the fence about having children. However, once she fell in love with her now-husband, she was leaning toward raising a family with him.
She still can through surrogacy, but Katie Thurston has to deal with the disappointing reality of what cancer has taken from her.
She Admits Struggling With The Symptoms
One of the most common side effects of menopause is hot flashes. Katie Thurston has been struggling to control the side effects, especially at night when she’s trying to sleep.
The Bachelorette star created an Instagram channel called the Boobie Broadcast where she can update fans on her cancer journey, as well as ask for advice from breast cancer survivors. In her latest post, Katie Thurston revealed that she started taking Effexor at the urging of her followers. The medication is labeled as an antidepressant, but is also used to help manage hot flashes.
Bachelorette Star Shares Update After Trying New Medicine
Katie Thurston is considering taking an extreme step to stop the hot flashes. But she might not have to. She shared an update on how the first dose of Effexor went.
She revealed that the medication made her nauseous. She said that she had to take Zofran in the middle of the night to help ease the nausea. She also took a ginger chew.
The Effexor didn’t help much the first day she took it, but she’s not giving up. She said she would “power through” a little while longer as she tests the new medication.
According to studies, menopause and hot flashes can last between seven and eleven years. Sometimes the hot flashes and other symptoms linger long after menopause is over. Finding a way to manage the hot flashes is essential to improving quality of life during the major change in the body.
Hopefully, Katie Thurston can find relief soon.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger