Is Erin Napier OK? 'Hometown Kickstart' star shares details on 8 years of 'physical suffering'
The renovation shows of HGTV have diehard fans, and many couples have become famous for their work flipping houses. Fans love to watch a house go from trash to beautiful over the course of an episode. Erin and Ben Napier are fan favorites with their popular show 'Home Town'.
According to HGTV, the Napiers don’t just renovate any old house. They work out of their small town in Mississippi, restoring old homes to new glory with reclaimed materials. Napier has had enormous success and a fulfilling career. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her struggles. In fact, Napier has opened up about her mental health after suffering for years from a mystery illness.
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Is Erin Napier Okay?
Although Napier is now healed from her illness, the mental toll it took on her hasn’t gone away. According to an Instagram post, she was finally cured in 2014, after 10 years of suffering. Now, eight years after her last surgery, she still gets panic attacks. She wrote, “My brain, without my permission, sets off on a fight or flight mission to save my life, when my life is not in any danger at all. Panic attacks and spiraling thoughts come rushing in.”
'We’ve all got our personal struggles'
Napier posted about her mental health struggles because January 2022 was the anniversary of her final surgery. She said she wanted the world to know a little bit more about her, and how she operates, which she sees as how we all operate. “That’s everyone though, isn’t it?” she wrote. “We’ve all got our personal struggles. But isn’t it so nice to have this place for editing the hard parts out?”
Diagnosed with a perforated appendix
She posted a collection of throwback photos, some rare snapshots of when she was in the hospital in 2014. The touching subject is even a topic she's included in 'Make Something Good Today: A Memoir', the book she and Ben wrote. In 2004, Erin began experiencing symptoms of what turned out to be a perforated appendix. It took 10 years for doctors to finally diagnose her, however, leading to immense suffering and physical pain.
She goes on to reveal she's experienced panic attacks and anxiety since her surgery. Napier explained that she is "relieved" that she was able to "have connected all these dots in recent months," thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. She also reflected on why exactly she was sharing the post and how she hopes that speaking out about her own health issues will help others who may be suffering from something similar.
Her transparency garnered so many sweet comments from fans and friends alike. "Thanks for sharing. We are all a little broken, that's how the light gets in," one user wrote. Another said, "Thank you for sharing the hard parts as well as the easy ones. This is the reality we all need. Blessings to you as you continue to work through your trauma. 💜."
Drew Barrymore also responded to Napier's post, writing in her own comment, "I love you @erinapier and THIS DOES HELP TO KNOW and I believe we are lucky to have a window into you that will also help others!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing. Ps rely on us right back. Everyone loves you!!!!"
'Home Town Kickstart' will premiere on Sunday, April 24th, 2022, at 8 pm on HGTV.