A little more than a year after the premiere of The Golden Bachelor, the show’s star received a devastating diagnosis. Gerry Turner learned she had Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a slow-growing bone marrow cancer. Sadly, there is no cure, and his diagnosis was terminal. Gerry told Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt on the Bachelor Happy Hour he hasn’t changed much since his diagnosis. For now, he feels good, continues monitoring his health closely, and has regular bloodwork every six months.
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“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.”
Gerry Turner Takes Inspiration From A Well-Known Country Song
Gerry told Joe and Serena his life is like the famous Tim McGraw song, Live Like You Were Dying. “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.”
Gerry Turner, 72, and Theresa Nist, 70, the winner of the Golden Bachelor stayed married for 100 days, but the pair ended their relationship in divorce. Since then, he’s found a new love.
Gerry added that he’s dating someone, and when she asks him to do something, he always says “yes.” He said there is a sense of urgency and purpose in his life right now.
“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.”
This story’s featured image is by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images.
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