Katie Thurston is grateful to her fiancé, comedian Jeff Arcuri, for his tireless support amid her recent breast cancer diagnosis.
“I was originally planning on moving back to [Washington] to be with my family and start care while Jeff continued on his world tour,” Thurston, 34, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, February 20. “But, he opted to postpone the upcoming dates to be my side.”
She concluded, “I’ll forever be so thankful for this selfless act.”
The former Bachelorette announced earlier in February that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, noting in an Instagram statement that she needed to undergo chemotherapy and a mastectomy as treatment.
‘Bachelorette’ Star Katie Thurston Gives Update on Breast Cancer Diagnosis
“A few days ago, my fiancée, Katie, was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Arcuri, 36, wrote via Instagram on Thursday. “This is an incredibly challenging time for both of us, and as she embarks on this difficult journey, I’ve made the decision to be by her side every step of the way.”
In his social media message, he revealed that he decided to reschedule his upcoming comedy shows in New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
“I am so sorry I can’t be there as planned, but I hope you understand that my family will always come first,” Arcuri, who proposed to Thurston in summer 2024, added. “Thank you all for your patience, your love, and your unwavering support. It means the world to both of us.”
His respective February and March shows were postponed to dates in September and October.
Katie Thurston and Fiance Jeff Arcuri’s Relationship Timeline
Since Thurston’s diagnosis, she has undergone a biopsy and other medical procedures to learn more about her cancer’s stage. On Thursday, Arcuri was also by her side when she had a nuclear bone scan.
“I’ve been injected with radioactive tracers that need to spread throughout my body,” she explained in a separate Instagram Story post. “I wait two hours and then get some scans done. This will tell me if the cancer has spread.”
Thurston, who has not publicly shared the scan’s result at the time of publication, plans to start her official treatment protocol after moving to New York City full-time. The Bachelor Nation alum had been based in Los Angeles while Arcuri lived in the Big Apple. While she always planned to relocate cross-country upon their engagement, her diagnosis sped up the time frame.
“I used my [Valentine’s Day] morning to figure out insurance for NYC and laws on preexisting conditions,” she wrote in an Instagram update earlier this month. “I scheduled appointments for another biopsy, fertility, mental health, surgery, as well as meeting with my team to discuss the overall treatment plan. … Not sure on the order yet. My fertility will be impacted by chemo. I have an appointment with my fertility doctor to preserve my eggs [first].”
