She did. It was done at the same time as the tummy tuck; they mentioned it.
What they didn't mention was the rhinoplasty that she also appears to have had -- if you look at the old "before" photos when she had brown hair, her nose was much more up-tilted; now it's perfectly aquiline.
The truth is that this show was about to run its course anyway, the kids were getting older and losing their cuteness factor. The "will they or won't they" factor was the draw this season, and now that's gone, too. I'm sure that TLC got several faxes today from sponsors who are choosing not to renew their ad buys.
BTW, they *do* have a mortgage on the house, in fact, on both houses, as the old one has not yet sold. They said so in an EW interview that is available on the web. I'm thinking that the new house will be up for sale shortly, too, unless she can pay for it from the book proceeds.
The usual payment arrangement for shows involving children is that they are not directly paid; the money is normally put in trust for them. They cannot own real estate at their ages, so the money cannot be used to buy a house unless the trust owns it. Whatever the parents made is theirs, but I suspect the bulk of the cash that TLC paid went to the kids.
Anyone else care to bet that there is a ghostwriter already at work on the story of how traumatic the divorce was? Kate is going to have to depend on the book income now that the TV money is gone; speaking engagements will be the only spotlight left to her. (If you think she's ever putting scrubs on again, rethink. She's addicted to the spotlight now. It won't be long before the kids get a nanny and Kate will be on the motivational speaking circuit full-time.)