Ben Napier Reveals Toughest Part of Shoulder Surgery: ‘Not Jumping in to Help’
By Movieguide® Contributor
HGTV star Ben Napier shared the hardest part of the recovery process following his March 2023 shoulder surgery.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Erin also shared a photo of Ben in a sling on the couch surrounded by stuffed animals.
She wrote, “Rotator cuff repaired ✅ , bone spur shaved off ✅ , cartilage trimmed ✅ , best nurse in the biz ✅”
Nine months later, he told PEOPLE the hardest part of filming HOME TOWN after the surgery was “not jumping in to help” when someone was lifting something heavy.
“I need to jump in and help, and it was hard to not do that,” Ben explained.
His wife, Erin Napier, added, “You’re the biggest guy in the room,” admitting she still sometimes worries about her husband’s shoulder.
“It still worries me when he’s like, ‘No, I can do this,’” she revealed. “He’s still not supposed to lift really heavy things with his left arm. I get nervous.”
Although Ben doesn’t complain about his shoulder, his recovery was long and hard.
“There’s only one episode where his shoulder is a part of the story,” Erin said. “At the beginning, when he had the surgery, that was the episode we were working on, and so after that, it has to just not exist ‘cause it gets a little redundant to have shoulder problems in every episode for a whole season.”
The couple also joked about how Ben’s post-op medication affected him. An episode of their newest season features a FaceTime call between the couple, but Ben doesn’t remember it happening.
“I don’t know. I do not remember this FaceTime at all because I was on drugs,” Ben laughed.
HOME TOWN Season 7 premiered Sunday night.
HGTV also announced the show will return for an eighth season.
“BREAKING NEWS: #HGTVHomeTown has been renewed for Season 8! 🎊 🎉 And if you’re anxiously awaiting the Season 7 premiere, know that we’ll have a date/time for you to mark your calendars shortly 😁🗓️,” HGTV shared on Instagram.
Movieguide® previously reported on the Napiers:
Erin and Ben Napier are giving fans some insight into the upcoming season of HOME TOWN, including Ben’s shoulder injury and the families they helped.
“It was scary, but also I had been in so much pain that I was losing sleep and really struggling: not doing a good job, not carrying my weight as a father, you know, playing with the girls like I needed to and all that,” Ben told Country Living.
The injury was caused by a bone spur, and he eventually decided to have surgery to correct the issue.
“You carried your weight fine,” Erin added. “It was different than it had been.”
Ben said the injury was “something that had bothered me for years, but then it was getting worse and then no improving at all. It was weird.”
