Dr. Jen Arnold from TLC’s The Little Couple, is currently recovering from a painful hip replacement. The operation went well, but she had a few complications so her recovery time will be longer than expected. Her husband Bill Klein, who also has skeletal dysplasia, just underwent arm surgery about four months ago.
This was Jen’s second revision of her prosthetic hip. She has previously had a replacement done on her right side, but she needed a new prosthetic ball on her left hip. Last week Bill updated their audience about Jen’s condition and shared that the first time she had her hip replaced she was in the middle of completing her medical residency but was still able to finish on time.
“Ok, @jenarnoldmd is of surgery and doing well. Success all around, not that I ever had a doubt. Thanks all, for the well wishes. Some folks asked what was up… it’s Jens second hip revision (the left this time), as she wore out the cup and needed a new prosthetic ball to match. The hip was done originally while she was in residency! She made up the lost time later that year and finished on time… before going on to her neo fellowship… because she’s that tough.
Being an LP is a lot more than dealing with the pointing and staring…not that I would mind that crap stopping completely too… for our kids sake if nothing else. But we deal with some heavy sh*t almost every year, for the better part of our lives. #battletested it’s not running the gauntlet to become a @usnavy 🦭 #respect, but I bet there’s a seal or two out there that would ring the bell before they got this far 🙂 #imarriedmymotivation”
On Sunday, February 20, 2022, Jen was in good spirits in a recorded video from the hospital. She’s excited about starting her new job and exploring their new city with their children Zoey and Will, but she needs some time to fully recover.
“Hey everybody, this is Jen here! I just wanted to send a quick live shoutout to say thank you to everybody for your well-wishes. I really appreciate all the good vibes that I’ve gotten, the prayers, the thoughts for a speedy recovery. I’m doing well. I’m sitting up. I have no makeup and my hair is a mess, but that’s what happens when you have surgery. But I’m just thankful that I made it out of surgery well and now on the road to recovery. I have a few, you know, little hiccups. No surprise with surgery. It’s going to be a little bit of a longer recovery than I’d hoped due to some complications. But, you know, it could be worse. I have a new hip that’s hopefully going to work really well and get me through another 20 years or more. So, just wishing you all well if you’re going through surgery or health issues right now. I know it’s not easy, especially after two years of pandemic time I’m ready to get back into the swing of things. I’m ready to jump right into my new job, and enjoy our new city of Boston with the kids. But it might be a little bit of a slow start here for a little bit. But I know soon, this too shall pass. So, wishing you all the best. Stay well everyone. Happy Sunday, and take care.”
The couple, who were recently living in St. Petersberg, Florida, have relocated with their two children to Boston, Massachusetts so Jen can start new positions at Boston’s Children Hospital and the Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital. When their show first aired in 2009, the family lived in Houston, Texas.
Jen and Bill are beloved by the TLC audience for their warmth and intelligence, but they haven’t shared their lives on television since 2019. In their time away from reality TV, they’ve been embroiled in lawsuits surrounding intellectual property disputes. The lawsuits are now settled, but it’s unclear if they ever plan to return.
