Lara Spencer Says She's 'Feeling Great' After Undergoing Hip Replacement Surgery
The "GMA" co-anchor had her right hip replaced in August.
— -- "Good Morning America" co-anchor Lara Spencer says she's "feeling great" after undergoing hip replacement surgery last month.
"I’m feeling great," she told "GMA" today by phone. Spencer, 47, had her right hip replaced in mid-August. "I’m up to almost a mile a day walking and at physical therapy I ride the bike and do loads of exercises. Again if you have had this surgery or if you have to have a hip replacement or any major surgery, I implore you to please, please do the exercises because that has gotten me really where I am today. I am so hopeful that I will be back with you guys before you know it."
Spencer called into "GMA" from home, where she is recovering, to give the team an update.
"It’s going great. I’m not ready to go on a hike with you yet, Amy," she said to co-anchor Amy Robach, "But I’m getting there."
The typical rehabilitation period for a hip replacement is three to six months, according to ABC News' Chief Women's Health Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.
Spencer, an avid tennis player who leads an active lifestyle, said she suffered from chronic pain in her right hip. But, she said she was shocked receive the surprising diagnosis that she needed a hip replacement in her 40s.
"It was so upsetting. I waited for a long time before I did anything about it or told anyone because it sounds like it’s an old person’s problem and I just couldn't believe it," Spencer said on "GMA" on Aug. 11. "Then I realized there is nothing to be embarrassed about. I have a genetic predisposition for this. But if you're athletic and you move, it's happening younger and younger."
Spencer’s physician, Dr. Peter Moley, told ABC News that around 10 percent of all hip replacements are done on patients in Spencer’s age group, under 50 years old.
The "GMA" family has been sending love, flowers and food to Spencer for a speedy recovery. Robin Roberts spent an afternoon at Spencer's house and Spencer said the visit was "priceless."
"[The surgery] is a big deal and you’re very fatigued and it consumes you, so to have somebody that you love come up and take your mind off your troubles and the pain and make you laugh for two hours is worth its weight in gold. Thank you for that," Spencer said today.
Spencer is using a cane that her friend bedazzled in jewels to help her get around. She said her friend, "came over on day one and bedazzled my cane to make me smile ... It's become not only a necessary tool, but also a party trick."