- Jennie Garth has revealed that she has undergone two hip surgeries yourself magazine that she’s “no longer in a place where I want to hide things”
- The Beverly Hills, 90210 The alum said she had her first procedure at age 48, followed by a second one earlier this year at age 52.
- She spoke candidly about the changes to her body as she got older, but said that “my physical condition has nothing to do with my spirit.”
Jennie Garth shares that she’s had two hip replacements — at the age of 48 and then this year, at the age of 52 — revealing that she “was nervous talking about my hip replacements.”
“I kept it a secret for a long time, but I’m not in a place anymore where I want to hide things,” Beverly Hills, 90210 alum told yourself in an interview published on Thursday 12.9.
“I wanted throughout my journey since my first surgery to be able to share my experience with people because there is such a stigma around replacing any joint. It’s something that doesn’t just affect 80-year-olds,” Garth said.
The actress, who said she grew up riding and dancing, said she “lived with hip pain for a very long time.” A doctor later confirmed she had osteoarthritis – which she said her parents and sisters had.
Jennie Garth in December 2023.
Jesse Grant/Getty
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As the Mayo Clinic explains, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and “occurs when the protective cartilage that protects the ends of bones wears away over time.”
But Garth only returned to the doctor after a family ski trip where she couldn’t join in any of the activities. “I was in so much pain that I had to sit in the box and wait for them. That was very disturbing, because I felt that my quality of life was decreasing,” she told the newspaper.
She also noted that “my husband [Dave Abrams, whom she married in 2015] is nine years younger than me and very fit. I didn’t want to be married to a younger man and start breaking down.”
The doctor told Garth that her “hip joint is not fitting properly into the socket and the tissue in the surrounding area is deteriorating,” and suggested treatment with a hip replacement.
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Unfortunately, it was precisely during the quarantine of the COVID-19 pandemic. Garth said: “It was difficult to schedule elective surgeries like this. I was stuck living with that pain, and it got worse and worse day by day as the quarantine went on.”
But the surgery during COVID helped keep it a secret, she said yourself. “The world was so quiet then. I knew I could undergo surgery without anyone knowing and I would be fine when life returned.”
The recovery was quick, the actress said, adding that she returned to her normal activities within two months. “I felt like [the] Bionic woman — there was nothing I couldn’t do. I kept forgetting I had a hip replacement; I just have a four-inch scar on my body to remind me.”
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Jennie Garth/Instagram
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However, earlier this year, Garth’s right hip began to hurt more than his left hip ever did. “I felt excruciating pain with every step — I couldn’t get down on the ground or get up again,” she recalled. “Given the success of my brand new hip, I knew there was no point: I had to operate on the other joint.”
The recovery from the second operation, which was in March, took much longer. She said yourself that she was still “limping” after she was able to return to the gym. “I really have to do it,” she noted, sharing that posting her workouts “has really kept my fires burning through all of this.”
“Honestly, I was nervous about having to talk about my hip replacements. I’ve kept it a secret for so long, but I’m not in a place where I want to hide things anymore,” Garth continued, crediting her I choose myself podcast that inspired her to share her surgery journey.
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The actress said she’s gotten “positive responses from people that I’m helping them, so being vulnerable in places like my podcast, for example, feels good.” And while she says she’s come to realize that “my physical condition has nothing to do with my spirit,” the fact is that as you age, “life begins to change in the most beautiful ways at this age.”
“There are some scary and disappointing changes, like when you start to see and feel aging, but don’t be afraid of it,” Garth said. “It’s part of what you thrive on.”
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Source: HIS Education