1000-Lb Sisters’ Tammy Slaton to undergo ‘life-saving’ surgery during rehab stint after she nearly died TWICE in 1 week
1000-LB SISTERS' Tammy Slaton has set a date to undergo a life-saving surgery after years of very serious health problems, The Sun can exclusively report.
According to a friend close to the reality star, Tammy's doctors will perform bariatric weight loss surgery on her in Atlanta next month.
Originally, Tammy, 35, wasn't supposed to be out of rehab and ready for her big surgery until August.
But the source claimed the 1000-lb Sisters star is expected to complete treatment two months earlier because she has been exceeding doctors' expectations.
Tammy will be ready to undergo her bariatric surgery - like her sister Amy, 34, once had - to lose even more weight at a rapid pace.
Bariatric surgery, also called gastric bypass surgery, is an operation on the digestive system to help a patient lose weight quickly in extreme situations.
Read More on Tammy Slaton
Since the start of 1000-Lb Sisters three seasons ago, Tammy has been desperately trying to lose enough weight to qualify for the life-saving procedure, although Amy beat her to the punch.
After weighing in at 400 pounds, Amy lost over 100 pounds to qualify for the surgery, and was later healthy enough to welcome her baby boy, Gage.
However, Tammy had quite a number of barriers preventing herself from being eligible for the procedure.
At the start of her second rehab stint, the star reached 639 pounds, and now must weigh under 400 pounds to qualify for the surgery.
Most read in TV
Additionally, Tammy has been under assisted breathing after living with a tracheotomy.
The procedure creates a surgical opening from the neck to the windpipe to allow easy access for breathing.
Tammy's friend exclusively told The Sun: "She hates her trach, although it's gotten smaller.
"She only has to wear it part-time now."
Her friend also shared Tammy has plans to get a second operation on her knee following the bariatric surgery.
She has been struggling with severe joint pain and has not been able to walk due to complications from her weight.
The Sun has reached out to TLC for comment.
FEARS FOR TAMMY
Before Tammy's second rehab stint where she got serious about turning her life around, the star had a couple of close calls.
In April 2015, the star nearly died twice in one week.
Tammy was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance when she woke up one day to find she couldn't breathe.
After nurses had trouble finding her veins for blood work and some x-rays, doctors diagnosed the star with pneumonia.
During the weeks following her stay in the ICU, Tammy struggled with the illness as her oxygen dropped down to 17.
Tammy woke up three and a half weeks later on and claimed she nearly "died that night."
An evening or so later, the same event repeated.
Thankfully, Tammy recovered from the life-threatening health scare, only to face further complications from her weight in the years following.
SEASON 4?
As Tammy is finally taking the steps she needs to lose the weight, she is making big plans for when she returns home to Kentucky.
Tammy's pal claimed she is interested in pursuing a book deal.
She wants to tell all about her side of the journey, and raise awareness of body positivity.
She also plans to return to reality TV.
Amy, however, isn't as thrilled about the idea of a book or returning to TV as she prepares to welcome her second child.
Previously, Amy told The Sun she planned to quit the show if the producers didn't cut down her hours as she felt like a "bad mom" to her son Gage, 1.
Tammy's friend insisted the star wasn't worried about her future with the show even if Amy did decide to quit.
Tammy's pal compared the star to the Honey Boo Boo franchise and thought Tammy could have the potential to go solo.
He said: "There are so many options for Tammy even if Amy did quit the show."
GO TAMMY!
The Sun previously revealed big updates on Tammy's progress in her Ohio treatment center as she hopes to complete her stint earlier than doctors initially anticipated.
Tammy's friend exclusively told The Sun that after her Instagram account was "hacked," she made a secret account for only family and friends to follow.
The star posted a selfie on April 27 from inside rehab onto her secret Instagram account after "disappearing" from her public social media earlier this year.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More On The Sun
In another photo, Tammy showed off a painting as she sipped on a calorie-free Coke Zero.
She looked proud of her artwork, as she held up her painting wearing a black tank top and her hair pulled back.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The US Sun team?
Email us at [email protected] or call 212 416 4552. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at