My 600-Lb Life: Where Is Tracey Matthews Now?
Tracey Matthews, one of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan's patients who appears on Season 5 of TLC's "My 600-lb Life," didn't have an easy life. She had abusive parents growing up, suffered a miscarriage at 23, almost died, and was cheated on by her ex-husband. This all led Matthews to turn to food for comfort. When her episode begins, she's 45 years old and 605 pounds, with much of her weight contained to the lymphedema on her legs.
After some setbacks, she weighs 388 pounds by the end of the episode and even has her first 10 pounds of lymphedema removed. She's also able to finally visit Galveston Beach with her second husband, Anthony. It's been some years since Matthews appeared on "My 600-lb Life," but she hasn't made much more progress in her wellness journey. In response to a fan who asked about the state of her legs, Matthews revealed that, as of February 2020, she hasn't had any other surgeries since the show.
"They [my legs] are smaller but I still have horrible lymphedema. I had the one mass removed that is shown in my show but that's it. I get around better so I'm grateful for that. I wish there was something someone could do about the others. I live by Cleveland Clinic main campus which is suppose to have the best Dr's in the world but they can't do anything," she wrote.
Tracey Matthews spilled some behind-the-scenes tea
During her fan Q&A, Tracey Matthews expressed her wish to appear on a future episode of "My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?." However, given her statements about the production of the TLC show, that might not be happening anytime soon.
Matthews revealed that "My 600-lb Life" participants aren't making Kardashian bucks, but rather $1,500 for an episode. If they need to relocate to Houston, Texas, there's an extra $2,500 to cover moving costs. However, according to Matthews, that money isn't seen until after the episode airs. "Everything we spend until then comes out of our pockets," Matthews wrote. By the end of her trip from Ohio to Texas, due to hotel and food costs, Matthews said she had $13 to her name. There are also no residuals from the show. "They can play our show a million times and we don't get a dime from it," she said.
As for the show's infamous shower scenes, Matthews said hers took over an hour to film, making it one of the most degrading experiences of her life. "I really wish they would stop making us do that," she said. "Who wants to be naked, taking a shower, and get filmed by a man you don't know?"
On a happier note, according to her Facebook, Matthews is still married to Anthony (shown in the center of her profile photo) and enjoying life as a grandmother.
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