Ty Pennington Recounts His Scary Trip To The ICU

Ty Pennington was rushed to the hospital in Colorado on July 11 after having trouble breathing. The HGTV star shared the news on Instagram along with a photo of himself sitting in a hospital bed just two days after he attended the premiere of the "Barbie" movie. "Turns out, that sore throat Ive had for the last month was actually an abscess which had grown so large it was closing off my airway. Next thing I know, I was intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver," Pennington wrote. He didn't share the exact details of where his abscess was, but it sounds like he may have had an obstruction in his throat called a peritonsillar abscess. According to Mount Sinai, these abscesses can cut off a person's airway if they go too long without being treated.

Within 24 hours, Pennington was in surgery and was placed in the intensive care unit so doctors could monitor his progress. Thankfully, he was released from the ICU two days later and his prognosis looks good. He took some time to thank the "amazing staff at St.Anthony's in Lakewood" Colorado, as well at Summit Health in Frisco. Dozens of fans took to the comments section of the post to wish Pennington well — but he didn't sign off without sharing a word of advice. 

Ty Pennington took a moment to remind his followers that it's important to pay attention to what your body is telling you — and to seek medical advice when something seems off. Pennington realized the severity of his health issue and wrote that he's "just happy to be here" following the scary ordeal. Fans shared some get well soon messages in the comments section of the post, and some really appreciated Pennington's helpful reminder. "Hopefully you've just prevented this for many others who will now know to ask their doctors to check. I'm so happy to see you back on tv/HGTV. Heal well and fast," read one Instagram comment. "Listen to your body is great advice. I pray you have a speedy recovery. My God bless you," another Instagram user said.

Pennington's serious health scare comes just days after it was revealed that he and his team had won the "Battle on the Beach" challenge — which he didn't even get to post about because of his health issues. On July 15, Pennington shared an Instagram post to congratulate the winner's, Ashley Basnight and Steve Lewis of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "It was such a honor to work with Steve & Ashley- we clicked so well creatively. It was so much fun to bounce ideas off of each other and push the creative limits. We are buddies for life," he wrote. It has been a crazy week for Pennington, but thankfully, he's going to be just fine.