May 27, 2026 bachelor insider
Katie Thurston Details ‘Frustrating and Painful’ Side Effect from Her Double Mastectomy
Keeping it real.
Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston was diagnosed with breast cancer early last year and has been keeping followers updated with her treatment journey online.
Katie later revealed the news that her breast cancer had spread to her liver and is now at stage 4. Soon after, she started a new treatment plan and the tumors in her body have been shrinking.
Recently, Katie paused her cancer treatments for a short period of time and prepared for a double mastectomy she received last month, directly followed by implants.
Katie has been detailing her recovery from surgery and nerve preservation post-operation, and is now opening up about a “frustrating and painful” side effect.
In a new post on social media, the Bachelor Nation star revealed that she’s been experiencing a side effect called “cording” since her double mastectomy.
She explained, “We are on the third week since having a double mastectomy, and so much is happening with my body. I had implants, I did nerve preservation, we removed lymph nodes, and one of the side effects is something called cording.”
Katie showed a spot on her armpit where she’s experiencing this side effect and shared that cording is also known as “axillary web syndrome.”
Her post explained that cording occurs when scar tissue forms around the lymphatic vessel and can run from the armpit all the way down to the wrist.
To help relieve the side effect, Katie revealed she’s been getting massages by her occupational therapist, who specializes in lymphedema.
She expressed, “I think the cording has been the most frustrating and painful side effect since having a double mastectomy. But without hesitation, finding an occupational therapist is so important for your first 8 weeks (and often longer) of recovery.”
Followers filled the comments with their love for Katie and shared appreciation for her vulnerability during her treatment and recovery process.
We’re continuing to send our love to Katie and wishing her all the best as she heals. We know her sharing her story is helping so many others.
