'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner reveals cancer diagnosis. What is Waldenström's macroglobulinemia?

The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner is opening up about a recent medical diagnosis. He told People that he was diagnosed with a slow-growing blood marrow cancer in early 2024.

The news comes eight months after Turner filed for divorce from Theresa Nist, whom he married in January 2024 after finding love in the inaugural season of the dating show. But Turner says that his diagnosis preceded their separation and actually played a role in their decision to part ways. “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 told the publication.

The diagnosis was a shock to 72-year-old Turner, who explained it all started with a shoulder injury that he endured three years ago. He was knocked over while teaching a pickleball class and was delayed in visiting an orthopedic surgeon to address it.

"Finally I got around to going [to the doctor] and the orthopedic surgeon said, 'Yeah Gerry, there's not much we can do for your shoulder, but there are some unusual blood markers here,'" he said. "And so an orthopedic surgeon went to my family doctor, my family doctor referred me to an oncologist and now I'm working with a hematology-oncology group in Fort Wayne."

Turner was told that he had a blood disorder before being officially diagnosed with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), WM is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that grows mainly in the bone marrow, where it crowds out the production of other cells the body needs. WM can result in lower counts of red and white blood cells, which can cause a person to feel tired or weak and have trouble fighting infections.

Anemia is a common symptom of WM. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, fever, weight loss and the sensation of pins and needles in the feet and legs, known as neuropathy. Lesser common symptoms include abnormal bleeding, enlarged lymph nodes, vision problems and sensitivity to cold.

The disease is rare — there are about 3 cases per million people per year in the U.S., according to ACS. About 1,000 to 1,500 Americans are diagnosed with WM annually, and it's more common in men than in women. The chances of developing the condition increase with age, with the average age of diagnosis being 70.

"Unfortunately, there's no cure for it. So that weighs heavily in every decision I make," he said. "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."

Although there are treatment options for WM, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Turner didn't specify if he was going through any. "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," he said.