Ty Pennington Learned to 'Live Every Day to the Fullest' After Surgery for Throat Abscess: 'You Just Don't Know'

Pennington was hospitalized in July after he woke up and “could barely breathe"

Ty Pennington says his health is back on track.

Eight months after revealing on social media that he had developed an abscess that required surgery, the HGTV star, 59, gave an update on his health in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight.

"I'm great," the former Trading Spaces contractor told the outlet. "You know what's great is if you almost die, you get so much attention. It feels so nice to be that loved."

"I'm planning another one... No, I'm kidding!,” the reality show host joked.

Related: Ty Pennington Recovering from Surgery After an Abscess was 'Closing Off My Airway': 'I Could Barely Breathe'

In July, Pennington shared on Instagram that he was hospitalized in the ICU after waking up at 4 a.m., two days after the Barbie red carpet premiere, “and could barely breathe.”

“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," he wrote, alongside photos of himself in a hospital bed. "Next thing I know, I was intubated and flown to the ICU in Denver."

An abscess is a buildup of pus that occurs when a part of the body becomes infected and the immune system tries to fight it. White blood cells travel to the infected area and build up within the damaged tissue, leading to inflammation and causing a pocket to form, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Internal abscesses are typically treated under anesthesia where a doctor will use a catheter to drain the abscess. Pennington had surgery for the abscess and was released from the ICU a day later.

Related: Ty Pennington Shares Photos of His Historic Savannah Home He and New Wife Kellee Are Restoring

Pennington told ET that the whole experience gave him a greater perspective on how limited time is here 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 said. 

It also helped him understand the importance of seeing through his new projects including the fifth season of his HGTV reality competition series, Rock the Block.

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"I mean that's why the 60’s 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 shared.

"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,' " Pennington continued. “And when you've got four teams that are trying to prove themselves, there is nothing they're gonna hold back, and that's the kind of design, that's the kind of passion I love to see."

Rock the Block airs Mondays (9 p.m. ET) on HGTV. The first four seasons can be streamed on Max.

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