Katie Thurston is opening up about her health journey.
After revealing she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, the reality star later updated followers that the cancer had spread to her liver and was stage 4.
Now, Thurson, 34, is detailing what she calls the “hardest part” of her journey while on the “Uncomfortable Conversations with Emmanuel Acho” podcast.
“I think being alone is the hardest, if I had to pick something,” she said in an exclusive clip obtained by People. “And that’s why I’m so thankful just to have this online community. [Husband Jeff Arcuri] travels a lot for work, so he’s actually gone for the next couple days. And soon this summer he’ll be gone internationally.”
Thurston added that she “can’t imagine how people do this alone.”
“It’s one thing to hear support from you — and it’s so great and I am appreciative,” the “Bachelorette” alum continued. “But to hear from another cancer survivor like ‘I was on that exact regimen 15 years ago,’ that gives me the biggest hope at the end of the day.”
In the clip, Thurston broke down in tears when host Emmanuel Acho, 34, asked her if hope is what she needed.
“Yes. I think you have to have a reason to live. I think you have to have something that makes you want to see tomorrow,” she noted while crying. “And I think without hope, you don’t have that opportunity.”
In March, Thurston revealed to followers that her cancer had spread.
“After days of waiting, unfortunately, I did find out today that my breast cancer has spread to the liver,” she said in an Instagram video at the time. “It is fairly small, however it does put me at stage four.”
“I know stage four can sound very scary, and it can be,” admitted Thurston. “However, given that I am triple positive and the spots on my liver are fairly small and detected early, I feel very optimistic on my outcome.”
She then assured fans that she was “very confident” with her doctors and their medical care.
Last week, Thurston shared her treatment plan in another social media video.
“Confirmed her2 negative. What this means is no chemo. Instead I’ll be on Letrozole + Kisqali + Zoladex as my first line of treatment. This is a custom plan based on being having HER2-negative, Luminal B, hormone-positive breast cancer,” she explained in an Instagram post after getting a second opinion.
“Letrozole to block estrogen, Kisqali to stop cancer cells from growing, and Zoladex to shut down my ovaries. Could I need chemo in the future? Maybe. If this treatment stops working or if the cancer grows again, it’s an option we’ll revisit. We will closely monitor the treatment plan and make sure it’s working for my body.”
Amid her cancer battle, Thurston tied the knot with comedian Jeff Arcuri in New York City. “We said ‘I do’ on March twenty two,” she gushed in an Instagram caption alongside a pic of the couple.
Thurston’s episode on “Uncomfortable Conversations with Emmanuel Acho” drops on Thursday, April 17.