American television host and artist Ty Pennington was hospitalized in July after he woke up and could barely breathe. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the 59-year-old star of HGTV provided an update on his health eight months after disclosing on social media that he had developed an abscess that needed surgery.
Pennington’s Health Scare
“I’m doing great,” the ex-contractor for Trading Spaces told the publication. “The wonderful thing about being close to death is that it garners a lot of attention. Being so loved feels wonderful.” The reality show presenter continued, “I’m planning another one… No, I’m kidding.” Two days after the Barbie red carpet debut in July, Pennington said on Instagram that he woke up at 4 a.m. and “could barely breathe,” landing him in the intensive care unit.
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“It turns out that the sore throat I’ve been experiencing for the past month was actually an abscess that got so big it was obstructing my airway,” he said, attaching pictures of himself in a hospital bed. “Next thing I know, I was intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver.”
An accumulation of pus that develops when an area of the body is infected and the immune system tries to fight it off is called an abscess. According to the Cleveland Clinic, white blood cells migrate to the affected location and accumulate within the injured tissue, resulting in inflammation and the formation of a pocket. When treating internal abscesses, a physician will usually administer anesthesia and drain the abscess using a catheter. A day after the abscess operation, Pennington was discharged from the intensive care unit.
Pennington will return to TV soon
Pennington told ET that the entire incident made him realize how fleeting life is on Earth. “It made me realize you just don’t know when your timecard’s gonna get pulled, so wake up, live every single day to the fullest,” he stated. It also made him realize how crucial it is to see through his current endeavors, such as the upcoming fifth season of his HGTV reality competition series Rock the Block.
“I mean, that’s why the ’60s is gonna be like time to start doing everything, and that’s what I love about being part of these projects because I think we all want to make sure we’ve done things to be remembered,” he stated.
Talking about his show, Pennington stated, “I think this season could be the greatest season ever because there’s so much at stake because this is about pride and saying, ‘I am a winner.’” He continued, “And when four teams are competing against each other, they won’t hold anything back, and that’s the kind of dedication and design I love to see.”
Rock the Block airs On Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV; Max offers free streaming for the first four seasons.
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