“The Golden Bachelor” Gerry Turner remains in good spirits despite his incurable cancer diagnosis.
The 73-year-old reality television star gave an update on his medical condition and how it’s shaping his new perspective on life and love.
“I feel great,” he shared on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast.
‘GOLDEN BACHELOR’ GERRY TURNER SAYS INCURABLE CANCER DIAGNOSIS LED TO THERESA NIST DIVORCE
He explained that his diagnosis “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,” he remarked. “And so, in a way, it’s really a good thing.”
The retired restaurateur continued to open up about his cancer diagnosis and said, “I mean this sincerely, from the time I got this diagnosis, it’s a privilege to live like you’re dying,” Turner said.
“I don’t turn down anything. I feel like I’m more open to emotions. I’m more open to experiences.”
Turner also discussed his health more directly, saying, “Until I have any symptoms, there’s no treatment. So, I go frequently for blood tests. I’m on, like, a six-month schedule now.”
“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.”
Last year, Turner announced that he was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in March, which he said greatly impacted his decision to get a divorce from “The Golden Bachelor” winner Theresa Nist.
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Turner was diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is considered a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”
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On a more personal note, Turner said he’s dating someone new, although he noted he wants to be respectful toward his ex after their divorce.
“At this point, it’s going well, but I don’t wanna say too much and jinx it. And I’m trying to respectfully get to a point where there’s an acceptable amount of time from my divorce,” he continued.
“Maybe that’s an old-fashioned thought, you know, maybe it doesn’t matter as much as I think it does, but to be respectful, I kind of want to slow roll this,”
While he hasn’t gone public with the new relationship, he revealed elsewhere in the interview that his outlook on life has shifted dramatically since receiving the news of his illness.
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“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,” Turner said. “So I’m in on everything.”
“The Golden Bachelor” alum also shared how his cancer diagnosis has impacted his family.
“They’re doing pretty good. It’s not like it’s talked about a lot. I think they understand the baseline of, ‘as long as dad says he’s feeling fine, not having any of those symptoms, we’re just going to go on like everything’s normal.’”
Turner raised two daughters with his late wife. He additionally has two granddaughters.
