Memory loss and hair falling out in 'clumps': Katie Thurston details impact of cancer treatment
Katie Thurston is suffering memory loss and her hair is coming out in "clumps" amid her treatment for stage four cancer.
Katie Thurston is suffering memory loss and her hair is coming out in "clumps" amid her cancer treatment.
The 34-year-old star is battling stage four cancer and though she is still feeling optimistic, she admitted there are days when she allows herself to feel bad because having the disease "sucks".
Speaking in a video shared to Instagram, she said: “I wanted to do weekly check-ins that are just like uncut, raw emotions of whatever comes to my mind. I just finished my second month of treatment and if you’re asking how long treatment is, technically forever.
"I am optimistic about medical advancements in the future. Fingers crossed as a stage 4 girly.
“But right now, after finishing two months of my medication, my hair is coming out in an unnatural amount of clumps. Working on that. I’m losing my memory. That’s great. Going through customs and them being like, ‘Where are you coming from?’ And I looked at him and I was like, ‘I don’t remember. I don’t remember.’”
The 'Bachelorette' star joked she and her husband Jeff Arcuri got into a "little disagreement" over her memory loss.
She added: “I was like, ‘This has happened before.’ He was like, ‘When?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know but I know it has!’
“We’re able to laugh about it now. But yeah, 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.’”
Katie is currently having to make "big decisions" about how to treat the cancer in her liver, whether that be through radiation, ablation, histotripsy, and explained medication zoladex - which is used to treat hormone-dependent cancers - didn't work so she is switching to lupron, and if that doesn't prove effective either, she may need to have her ovaries removed.
She added: "Not ideal. But the vacation was nice. Now I’m back at it again in New York City trying to live my best life as a f*****cancer patient.
"Sorry I’m not going to edit that out. I’m just going to end this because I want it just to be my truth, I guess. Anyway, happy Sunday.”
Katie is proud to be a "survivor" amid her treatment.
She noted: “Anyway, it’s National Cancer Survivors Day. Every day that I’m alive, I’m a survivor. So go me, I guess.”
