Although 1000 Lb Sisters‘s Tammy Slaton saw amazing results immediately after her long sought-after weight loss surgery, she was unable to leave rehab as expecting. Tammy had been in rehab for a year and was ready to go home, but unfortunately her hopes were dashed.
the tracheotomy delimma
Unfortunately, right before she left they discovered that Tammy had developed an infection in her tracheotomy site. In order to treat the infection, Tammy needed I.V. administered antibiotics, which means she couldn’t leave on time.
Her family feared that if she was able to come home, they would be unable to provide the care she needs to maintain it. Because of their concerns, Tammy’s family had a meeting to discuss Tammy’s future.
Their sister Amanda reveled that the people taking care of Tammy when she came home would have to take classes to understand how to handle Tammy’s ventilator. She would need at least two caregivers and would take them seven days to get trained. Amanda says she couldn’t take the time off of work, and Amy says that she couldn’t be away from her newborn Glenn.
Eventually Tammy would be able to live without the tracheotomy, which was surgically put in 2021 because she had severe pneumonia and sepsis which impaired her ability to breathe on her own at the time.
Chris then called Tammy and told her that because of the care her tracheotomy requires. Tammy wasn’t happy to hear that and argued that she knew how to take care of the trach on her own. “I’m not going into another facility, and I’m not staying here,” Tammy says before hanging up.
Amy thinks that if Tammy comes home under these conditions, she is at risk from getting life-threatening sepsis again and she doesn’t think the risk is worth it.
Tammy feels played
Tammy, however, feels like her sisters Amy and Amanda “played” her by making her think they would get training in time to care for her and help her move out of a rehab facility. “They backed out on me,” she says.
Tammy’s demeanor during her interview has changed a lot since last season. Although he exhibited anger when her family told her she couldn’t come home for the foreseeable future, she seemed more vulnerable and open in her interview with producers.
She also resolved to continue to do better instead of expressing signs of hopelessness. Still, she seems hurt by her family’s inability to take the steps to care for her. In order for her family to continue to be a part of her life, Tammy says that they have to listen to her in the future and give her respect.
Tammy has often expressed that she doesn’t feel seen or heard by her family, and this frustrates her greatly. In the past she has dealt with her frustration by lashing out, burying her feelings, and eating to cope. Now, she seems more able to openly express her wants and needs, which is a good sign for her recovery.
“I know I can be a b!tch she says,” Tammy says as she breaks down in tears. “It just hurts. It struck me to the core. I never thought they would hurt me that bad, ever.”
In this situation, it seems like both Tammy and her sisters are practicing setting personal boundaries which each other, which can be painful and distressing. While it’s hard for Tammy to accept that she can’t go home right away, her sisters’ concerns are valid and they deserve space for their own lives and needs.
Amy says she’s worried that if Tammy died under her care because of a trach infection, she would feel like she killed her.
Although Tammy was hurt by her family not agreeing to care for her if she came home, they may have brought her a blessing in disguise because Tammy met her husband Caleb by staying in the rehab. Caleb had been in at the rehab for almost a year, but had only recently started to leave his room.
She’s also continued with her weight loss progress in the months following her surgery, and currently looks much different and healthier than she did at the height of her weight.
1000-LB SISTERS Why Tammy Slaton has a tube in her neck
