Kathie Lee Gifford shares difficult recovery from hip replacement surgery

Kathie Lee Gifford reveals her challenging recovery from hip replacement surgery and discusses her new book.

Kathie Lee Gifford is recovering from a recent hip replacement surgery, which she describes as “one of the most painful situations” of her life. In an interview with PEOPLE, the 70-year-old former Today co-host discussed her unexpected difficulties post-surgery. “It's been really hard,” Gifford admitted, noting that she initially underestimated the recovery process. “I walked, I climbed, I walked, and my doctor said, ‘Kathie, no. You have got to realize that this is serious.’”

Gifford's active lifestyle contributed to her needing the procedure. “My hips [were] down to the nubs,” she explained, adding that her doctor attributed her condition to her constant physical activity, including climbing mountains, making movies, and never taking off her high heels. Despite the pain, Gifford expressed no regrets, stating, “[I ask myself] would I change that? No, I was doing what God put me on this earth to do.”

While recovering, Gifford has also been preparing for the release of her new historical nonfiction book, "Herod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mother of the Risen Savior," which is available from July 16. The book provides “deep insight into how Herod came to power, how corruption and an ancient evil threatened the stability of a nation, and how a teenage Mary was called to traverse these obstacles to bring the Savior, Jesus, our living hope, into the world,” according to the official description.

Gifford was inspired to write the book after a rabbinical trip to Israel. “I came home from this trip completely immersed in the story of Herod,” she said. Encouraged by her son Cody, 34, she delved into Herod's history, discovering compelling details that she felt needed to be shared. “If Jesus is the greatest story ever told, Herod is the greatest story never told.”

Gifford concluded with a reflection on her life's work, saying, “I am a strong woman, but I'm a woman who for 60 years has been trying to do godly work, trying to do the right thing, trying to love people, [and] trying to represent the kingdom of God.”