Should you have been to look right into a ’90s time capsule, there’s a good probability you’d discover footage of Jennie Garth; most likely in a single well-known Beverly Hills, 90210 scene particularly. Garth, who performed Kelly Taylor on the long-lasting present, finds herself oh so classically torn between two hunky love pursuits, performed by Jason Priestley and the late Luke Perry. In a shocking twist, she kicks each puppy-dog-eyed beaux to the curb, confidently proclaiming, “I select me.” The scene is a basic ’90s second for tons of causes (Garth’s mushy, shaggy supermodel “flob” being one in all them), and it cemented Garth, who was in her mid-20s when the episode aired and solely 18 when the present started, as a Gen X icon.

Nearly 30 years later, she’s nonetheless making an attempt to be a visual, vocal position mannequin for her similar-aged cohorts, significantly relating to some very relatable midlife well being points. She’s talked at size to the press about having a leaky coronary heart valve and being recognized with osteoarthritis. She’s additionally been adamant about destigmatizing menopause on her podcast, aptly known as I Select Me.

Garth has been tremendous clear about her well being ups and downs previously decade, with just a few sizable exceptions: She lately revealed completely to SELF that she underwent surgical procedure to interchange her left hip in 2020, adopted by a process to interchange her proper hip in March 2024. Whereas restoration for the primary hip alternative went remarkably nicely, the second, Garth says, was debilitating and sometimes extremely disheartening. Garth felt embarrassment and disgrace at being seen as “previous.” So she saved these struggles, together with a heartbreaking IVF journey, a secret from her followers and even a few of her closest household and buddies—till now. Right here’s her story, as informed to SELF’s affiliate well being situations director, Julia Sullivan.

This interview has been condensed and edited for readability.

I’ve lived with hip ache for a really very long time; they’ve at all times made a click on sound every time I’d carry my legs. Nonetheless, as somebody who’s performed horseback using since childhood and danced as a youngster, I figured all that put on and tear was the trigger. However as issues received progressively worse by way of the years—it turned so painful at one level that I couldn’t even go on a stroll with my canines—I believed it may be arthritis. Each my dad and mom and sisters have this illness, so I knew in a method that it may be coming for me too. My physician confirmed these suspicions through an X-ray and an MRI: I had osteoarthritis in my thumbs, knees, and hips—all of the joints that you simply don’t need to cease transferring. I keep in mind him telling me so rigorously and gingerly, “I can see some arthritis coming.” It was a scary factor to listen to as a result of the situation progresses and will get extra debilitating—and I used to be solely in my mid-40s on the time. I keep in mind feeling previous and confused by the analysis, however I needed to remain lively and simply push by way of it.