Gerry Turner is facing his health battle with grace, gratitude, and a full heart.
The 73-year-old “The Golden Bachelor” alum opened up about how life has changed since receiving a diagnosis of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a rare and incurable form of bone marrow cancer.
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Gerry Turner Says He Feels ‘Great’ Amid Cancer Battle
“Until I have any symptoms, there’s no treatment,” Turner told hosts Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt. “So I go frequently for blood tests. I’m on, like, a six-month schedule now, and I feel optimistic because the doctor has said, ‘Well, when you turn 75, we’re going to have to go three-month increments.’ So it’s telling me that at least he expects me to live another couple of years to get to that. But the bottom line is I feel really good.”
While the disease currently hasn’t affected his daily life, Turner revealed that the diagnosis has shifted his mindset, and opened him up to living more fully.
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“I mean this sincerely, from the time I got this diagnosis, it’s a privilege to live like you’re dying,” he said. “I don’t turn down anything. I feel like I’m more open to emotions. I’m more open to experiences.”
“The person I’m dating will say, ‘Do you want to go do-’ And before she even gets out the rest of the sentence, I will say yes. So I’m in on everything,” Turner continued. “And it makes life exciting because you kind of in the back of your head feel like you’ve got a lot of living to do and you don’t know how long you have to do it, so don’t turn down anything. And so, in a way, it’s really a good thing.”
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Gerry Turner Says Family Is His Focus After Cancer Diagnosis
Turner first shared news of his diagnosis with People Magazine in December 2024, revealing that the slow-growing cancer was discovered after he saw an orthopedic surgeon for a lingering shoulder injury.
“It was like 10 tons of concrete were just dropped on me. And I was a bit in denial for a while, I didn’t want to admit to it,” he said at the time.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia causes white blood cells to transform into cancer cells that accumulate in the bone marrow, disrupting normal blood cell production. It most commonly affects men over 70, and currently has no cure.
Despite the shock, Turner said he chose to focus on what matters most.
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“I wanted my life to continue on as normal as possible, and that led me to believing that as normal as possible more meant spending time with my family, my two daughters, my two son-in-laws, my granddaughters,” he shared.
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Gerry Turner Says He’s Living Life With No Regrets
He also credits Tim McGraw’s emotional anthem “Live Like You’re Dying” as inspiration for how he now approaches every day.
“I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve gotten to the point where I can be somewhat comfortable with it,” Turner told People. “I’m going to pack as much fun as I possibly can into my life and enjoy every moment. And when I’m gone, I’m gone, but I’m not going to have regrets.”
Theresa Nist Breaks Silence On Gerry Turner’s Cancer Diagnosis
The reality TV couple, who got engaged on the season finale of “The Golden Bachelor” in November 2023 and tied the knot in a lavish televised wedding in January 2024, shocked fans when they announced their split during a joint appearance on “Good Morning America” on April 12, 2024, which is also the same day Turner filed for divorce.
Shortly after learning of his diagnosis, Nist revealed how Turner broke the news about his incurable cancer, during a visit to see him in Indiana in March.
“It was when I visited Gerry in Indiana [sometime in March],” she told People Magazine. “That’s devastating news, really. I was extremely upset.”
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Theresa Claims Gerry’s Cancer Diagnosis Didn’t End Their Marriage
Despite the seriousness of the diagnosis, Nist said Turner remained optimistic.
“He told me though, that it was the type of cancer that he would most likely outlive,” she said. “He’s a very positive person and I am too, and I know that he will do the best that he can to make this a positive experience. And I have every faith that is going to work out that way, that it’s going to be the type of cancer that will not affect his life and that he’ll live to be a very healthy old age.”
Turner has since said that the diagnosis may have influenced his perspective on the relationship, but Nist isn’t convinced that it was a factor in their split.
“[It] wasn’t a factor in the ending of the relationship, at least not for me,” she said. “If that was something on his part, maybe, I don’t know. But no, that didn’t factor into ending the relationship. Part of it was the distance, but that wasn’t the only part. That’s really all I will say.”
