Tammy Slaton‘s fans expressed their concerns over the 1000 Lb Sisters star’s health after it was disclosed that Slaton got a tracheotomy.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a tracheotomy, or tracheostomy, is an opening that is surgically created through the neck into the trachea to provide access to the breathing tube. This event occurred in November 2021 after Slaton suffered carbon dioxide poisoning. Additional details surrounding how the star suffered said poisoning are unclear.
During a trip to the hospital, the star’s doctors decided that the only way to help Slaton breathe properly was by inserting a tracheotomy. The reason behind fans’ concerns is that many claimed that Slaton will become dependent on the trach and will not want to learn how to breathe again on her own. These sentiments stemmed from the 35-year-old’s reluctance to prioritize her health, documented on the TLC show.
The 1000 Lb Sisters’ original premise was about Tammy Slaton and her sister Amy Slaton’s desire to tackle their unhealthy addiction to food. Because of their habit and increase in weight, the sisters developed several health complications.
During the series, doctors informed the pair that they could potentially die if they didn’t alter their diet. Although Amy took the warning to heart and began working towards qualifying for bariatric surgery, a weight-loss procedure, Tammy did not.
As news regarding Slaton’s condition began to resurface online, a couple of Reddit users expressed the effects of having a trach long term. One wrote, “From my experience, the longer you have a trach, the harder it is to tolerate being off of it.” Another said, “It feels very different breathing through your neck… It takes more effort to learn how to breathe normally again.”
However, these comments constitute fan discussion of the show, and actual details regarding Slaton’s current health status have yet to be released.