Former Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington is recuperating after a medical procedure to remove an abscess.
“From the red carpet to the ICU. … This last week has been interesting,” Pennington, 58, wrote via Instagram on Friday, July 14, days after attending the Los Angeles premiere of Barbie. “I’m OK now, still recovering.”
The former Trading Spaces contractor attended the Sunday, July 9, red carpet for Margot Robbie’s doll-inspired flick, hours before traveling to Breckenridge, Colorado, to start filming a new project. “Tuesday morning I woke up at 4am and could barely breathe,” he wrote in his social media upload. “Turns out, that sore throat I’ve had for the last month was actually an abscess which had grown so large it was closing off my airway.”
Pennington was admitted to the local hospital, where doctors intubated him. He was ultimately airlifted to the ICU in Denver to undergo surgery to remove the abscess. His procedure occurred one day later before Pennington was released from the ICU on Thursday, July 13.
Ty Pennington Courtesy of Ty Pennington/Instagram
“Thank you so much to all the amazing staff at St. Anthony’s in Lakewood, CO & Summit Health in Frisco for taking such great care of me,” he concluded his post. “A great reminder to LISTEN to your body when it’s telling you something. #justhappytobehere.”
Several of Pennington’s social media followers shared their hopes for a speedy recovery in his Instagram comments, with a few even noting that abscesses can even turn into sepsis or have fatal consequences if left untreated.
“Why this can be so dangerous,” the HGTV star — who married longtime love Kellee Merrell in November 2021 — wrote via his Instagram Story on Friday, sharing screenshots of the messages. “Again, so SO grateful for the doctors at Summit Health and St. Anthony’s 🙏.”
Many of Pennington’s former Trading Spaces costars were also glad that he was on the mend.
“Babes!!!! I’m so happy you are okay, how terrifying. Love to you and Kellee,” Genevieve Gorder replied before Paige Davis chimed in. Davis, 53, jokingly wrote, “Glad you’re not dead, you ol’ coot.”
Fellow HGTV designer Jasmine Roth, for her part, added: “Oh my goodness Ty! So glad you’re OK. Sheeeeeesh!”
Pennington, who rose to fame as the hotshot carpenter on TLC’s Trading Spaces before eventually switching to the design side, has previously been candid about prioritizing his health and wellness journey.
“I have NEVER worked out harder in my life — 7 days a week (this over 50 sh*t is no joke 😂). ‘What happened’ is, it’s been 22 YEARS since I made my television debut,” he wrote via Instagram in February 2022. “No, I don’t have a six-pack anymore or a luscious head of hair (with frosted tips 🤣) but what I do have is wisdom, empathy, life lessons and at 57 years old, I’ve TRULY never been happier! Anyways, all this to say: I’m human and I have feelings.”
Pennington continued: “Yes, I am older but I think it’s pretty cool. … I have wrinkles and sunspots and grey hair but that’s OK.”
