Embracing Gratitude Through Disease
- “Golden Bachelor” star Gerry Turner, who living with the rare lymphoma Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, says his diagnosis has changed his outlook.
- After releasing his memoir Golden Years, he insists “I get to live like I’m dying. I was always the alpha guy, pushing hard in my career.”
- Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, several studies have indicated that learning to live with gratitude can lead to more happiness and less stress.
- One way to exercise gratitude is to take time to think about things you appreciate every day. One way to exercise gratitude in your life is to write down those things in a journal.
Following the release of Turner’s new memoir “Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV,” the reality TV star told Fox News Digital, “I get to live like I’m dying. I was always the alpha guy, hard-driving in my career, always wanting to work and get ahead and all those things.
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After noting how the word “cancer” can serve a powerful “gut punch” to anyone receiving a diagnosis, he continued, “There’s a bit of reassurance when your doctor says, ‘You know what? You may outlive this disease.’
“Because until I have a particular symptom or several symptoms, there’s no treatment. So, I routinely go for my blood tests, and they mark the indicator that tells them what the progression of the Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia is taking.”
We’re overjoyed to see Turner embracing life amid living with an incurable disease and especially so as he’s now doing so with his new fiance.
During a recent episode on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast, he offered some additional insight into his love life, admitted he doesn’t even think about his recent divorce.
“For me, I don’t want to sound disrespectful at all, I don’t think of myself as being divorced. It was such a short time… that yeah, I have to stop myself and say, ‘Yeah, you know what? I am divorced,'” he said.
Turner added, “There are some things that are timeless, and I think one of them is when you meet the right person, you don’t even think about where it fits on the timeline.
“It’s just when it’s right, it’s right.”
Turner also shared that from the very beginning, things felt right.
“I mean it’s getting close to eight months since we met; neither of us have stopped smiling. It was that good right from the get-go,” he said.
“And you know you have to kind of be cautious and is this for real and all of that. But man, it is, it really is.”
Turner has also admitted on Instagram, he’s “never been happier” than this time in his life.
Promoting his new memoir, he wrote alongside a photo of himself holding his new book, “What an amazing trip to NY last week to promote the book. Was quite surprised to be invited to 16 different podcasts or media interviews.
“Wow! Plus I got to create another wonderful memory with my sweetheart in the worlds greatest city. I have never been happier–Love is a gentle but powerful force later in life.”
Understanding Gerry Turner’s Cancer Diagnosis: Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia
Back in 2021, following a shoulder injury he ignored but eventually got checked, Gerry Turner was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), “an uncommon blood cell cancer that develops from malignant B-cells,” according to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
“It is a slow-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Waldenström’s mostly forms in the bone marrow and can slow normal blood cell growth, which can lead to anemia and a weakened immune system,” the institute explains.
“The disease occurs because of an abnormality in B lymphocytes in the bone marrow, causing them to produce too much immunoglobulin protein (IgM) that thickens the blood. Although WM shares similarities with multiple myeloma and indolent lymphoma, it is a form of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, a low-grade (or indolent) type of lymphoma.”
Speaking to People in an interview last year, he explained what led to his diagnosis, saying, “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.’
“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.”
He continued, “Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. So that weighs heavily in every decision I make. 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.”
Additionally testing, as well as a bone marrow biopsy, weeks later confirmed his diagnosis even more. However, he’s maintained an optimistic outlook and insisted to 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.”
It’s important to note that not all patients diagnosed with WM need treatment as an active surveillance approach may also suffice, which Gerry Turner is said to be doing.
“While WM is incurable and will return despite treatment, many people are able to lead active lives and may experience years of symptom-free remission after treatment,” the institute adds.
Men are almost twice as likely to get WM as women, and the change of getting diagnosed with this disease increases with age
Genetics also seems to play a role in patients with WM. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute says that up to 20 percent of people living with WM “have a first- or second-degree relative with WM or another lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or chronic lymphocytic leukemia.”
Understanding Lymphoma
Gerry Turner was diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is one of the two most common types of lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
Sneaky Lymphoma Symptoms Often Lead to a Late Diagnosis
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she added, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
Hodgkin lymphoma has distinctive, giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
There are a few other important differences between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma to note. For one thing, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is much more common. And you’re more likely to be diagnosed with it after age 55.
Age, Race, and Exposures Might All Factor Into Lymphoma Risk
It should be noted that another difference between these two types of lymphoma is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread in a random fashion and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow in a uniform way from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two different types of lymphoma behave, spread and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important for you to know which type you have.
The Power of Gratitude: How Cancer Survivors Find Strength in Appreciation
Many cancer survivors who’ve shared their journeys with SurvivorNet speak not only of resilience, but of gratitude. In the face of life-altering diagnoses and grueling treatments, they consistently point to the people, moments, and simple joys that bring light into their lives.
Defined as the practice of recognizing and appreciating what we have, gratitude can be a powerful mindset for those navigating the uncertainty of cancer. Experts interviewed by SurvivorNet encourage both patients and their loved ones to embrace gratitude as a tool for emotional well-being and mental strength.
Expert Resources On Coping With Emotions After a Diagnosis
- ‘Be Patient With Your Emotions’: A Social Worker’s Insights Into Handling a Cancer Diagnosis
- Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
- Fear, Anger, Anxiety: You’re Entitled To Your Emotions
- Crucial Genetic Testing Under Fire — What Does This Mean for Millions of Americans Living With Rare Diseases?
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has seen firsthand how this mindset can transform the treatment experience.
“The patients who do well with cancer live life with gratitude—not for the disease itself, but for the clarity it brings,” he explains.
“They’re grateful for the opportunity to understand that life is finite, and that every moment matters.”
WATCH: Finding gratitude and its impact on your well-being.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, multiple studies show that cultivating gratitude can lead to increased happiness and reduced stress—two critical factors in supporting mental health during treatment.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t require grand gestures. It can be as simple as pausing each day to reflect on what brings you joy or jotting down a few things you’re thankful for in a journal. These small acts can help reframe even the most difficult days, offering a sense of control, hope, and emotional grounding.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are in the middle of a cancer journey and are looking to improve your emotional health, consider what you’re grateful for. To begin, ask yourself the following questions to kickstart your journey to achieve gratitude.
- What can I do if I’m struggling to be thankful for what I have in my life?
- Are there local resources for people wishing to improve their mental health?
- Who has offered me support, love, or kindness during this time? How can I express gratitude to them?
- How can I bring more moments of gratitude into my daily routine?
- What else can I do to help reduce my stress level during my cancer journey?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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