Reality Star Says He Still ‘Has a Lot of Living to Do’ Following Devastating Cancer Diagnosis
Gerry Turner may have not found ever-lasting love on The Golden Bachelor, but the 73-year-old has adopted a lust for life following his recent diagnosis with an incurable form of bone marrow cancer.
The reality star and retired restaurateur appeared on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast on Tuesday to share some inspiring updates on his health journey, as well as his love life. Though Turner did get engaged, and married, Theresa Nist, a contestant he met on The Golden Bachelor, the pairing did not last. The couple wed in a lavish celebration that aired on ABC on January 4, 2024 as The Golden Wedding—and split three months later.
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In December 2024, Turner shared that a contributing factor to their divorce was that he had been diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a slow-growing and incurable type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the white blood cells in a person’s bone marrow.
As of right now, Turner said on the podcast, “I feel great.” He is not currently experiencing any symptoms of the disease, and cannot receive any treatment until he does. “So I go frequently for blood tests,” he explained. “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 to 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 Turner understands that a long road could lie ahead for him in terms of treatment, he’s soaking up every moment of feeling pain-free. “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.”
Turner does have a special person in his life, and says that she has helped him to remain positive and open as well.
“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. 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.”
While this positivity didn’t occur overnight, Turner told People Magazine that, at one point, he simply decided that he wanted to channel the Tim McGraw song “Live Like You’re Dying” as his mantra.
“I’ve gotten to the point where I can be somewhat comfortable with it,” he said of his diagnosis, adding: “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.”