he 1000-lb Sisters star first found fame in 2020 alongside her sister Amy, but her real story has been a powerful one of resilience, health battles, and personal reinvention.

After struggling with obesity and addiction to food, Slaton made headlines in recent months for not only losing over 300 lbs but also walking unaided and appearing without her oxygen tube for the first time.

In a new interview with PEOPLE, the 38-year-old confirmed she underwent an eight-hour skin removal surgery on January 18, performed by Dr. J. Peter Rubin at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The complex procedure removed more than 15 pounds of excess skin from her chin, arms, and lower stomach.

“After six years and losing over 500 pounds, I was finally approved for surgery,” she said. “I was just overwhelmed with excitement. I worked really hard for this, and now it’s here.

“The night before my surgery, I was, like, seriously freaking terrified,” she added. “I was even more nervous about having skin removal surgery than I was for the [sleeve gastrectomy] surgery because they’re actually cutting the whole belly!”

Slaton’s surgery was documented on the reality show, and her siblings were visibly emotional as they saw her dramatic change for the first time.

“It feels so weird not having the b**l sack hanging off my face and my bat wings are gone too,” she joked, per Daily Mail. “I look down and there is nothing there in my lap now… It’s going to take a little while for me to get used to seeing myself like this.”

Her transformation hasn’t just been physical; it’s been deeply emotional too. After dropping from 717 lbs to 534 lbs, she reflected on reaching her goal weight during the show.

“When I got on the scale and I saw the scale was at 534.7, I kinda stopped breathing for a second. I’m like 14 lbs under my goal weight. From over 700, that’s a huge drop. I’m feeling thrilled, proud, excited – just all the emotions. I proved everybody wrong… I finally got mine! My told-you-so moment,” she said per PEOPLE.

Slaton’s journey hasn’t been without heartbreak. She lost her husband Caleb Willingham, 40, whom she met during recovery, just seven months after they married in November 2022.

In a past interview, she shared the painful memory of learning about her husband’s passing while she was at home in Kentucky and he was in an Ohio rehab facility.

“I got a text message from his friend up there, and the text said, ‘Caleb’s not doing good. They’re in there working on him.’ 20 minutes later, he texted me back and said he was gone,” she recalled. “I was sitting in the fetal position.”

Slaton now wears a ring and necklace with Caleb’s ashes, bringing her comfort during difficult days. “He’s going to live on now forever because his memory is encapsulated,” she said.

Now in Season 7 of 1000-lb Sisters, the reality TV star has revealed she’s found love again – this time with a woman.

“There’s something I haven’t told my family. Amy’s not the only one that’s been seeing somebody new. So have I,” she said in a confessional. “The person I’m dating is a woman. So I haven’t told my family because my family’s gonna have something to say about it. I think my family probably has more opinions than the world has a***oles because they be farting so much.”

This is her first relationship since Caleb’s death, and she explained that after coming out as pansexual years ago, she no longer wants to be with men.