Teddi Mellencamp Shares Melanoma Update And Says She's Doing A 'Reset' On Her Health
By Melanie VanDerveer on March 1, 2023 at 9:00 PM EST
"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum Teddi Mellencamp has been sharing her melanoma journey with her social media followers in the hopes of bringing more awareness to a topic that's not always openly discussed. She recently gave a new update on Instagram and said she's doing a "reset" on her health after all she's been through.
Teddi Mellencamp Has Been Open About Her Melanoma Diagnosis
"It’s been a while, but I realized I had only put an update in my stories and so many of you are asking— the biopsy of the lymph node in my neck came back benign. That’s the kind of news you get and the relief is so great, you can’t do anything but cry. After months of my skin being picked at, prodded, and cut open— to think about the possibility of a spread to my lymph nodes… and it wasn’t just my anxiety, the ultrasound came back 'suspicious.' But thankfully, we’re in the clear," she began the caption explaining where's she's currently at in the process.
"I truly appreciate all the support that poured in. Going through all of this has really made me do a “reset” of sorts on my health— from what my personal goals are, listening to my body, being more proactive overall."
She concluded her caption by saying she will continue to be open about the process and share much of it on social media in the hopes of helping others. "I go back for my next check up in a couple of weeks but feeling good and strong," she said.
Teddi Mellencamp Has Been Sharing Her Journey With Updates For Months
Mellencamp has been sharing her journey every step of the way for months. In early December she shared that the pathology came back and her surgeries were successful. She also had genetic testing done and the results showed there are no mutations that need to be worried about. She also said she will continue to get checked every four to six months.
An update in mid-January told a bit of a different story. "I went in for my 4-6 week checkup and there were three new spots my doctors felt needed to be biopsied. I’m getting a lot of questions about the spots being white. I have had both white and brown melanomas; this is why I continue to share to get checked no matter what," she shared.
"Also, recently I felt a bump on my neck. My anxiety, of course, took over. I touched it at least 303 times. However, day of appointment, I assumed it was nothing. And then the ultrasound came back irregular. I had the option of a needle biopsy or getting it cut out completely; the doctor recommended the biopsy to start, however there’s a small chance it’ll come back inconclusive and we will then have to remove it."
Many Followers Shared Their Thoughts And Stories In The Comment Section
Many people thanked Mellencamp for sharing her story every step of the way, and others shared their personal stories in the comment section of her newest update.
The Skin Cancer Foundation left the comment, "Thank you for raising awareness about the dangers of skin cancer and the need to be proactive with health issues! 💛 We wish you the best possible health outcome."
"I don’t have questions - just loads of admiration for your honest and informative approach to sharing what is a VERY personal experience. Sending you tons of support from afar," one follower wrote.
Another person added, "Thank you for being a 🌈 in someone else cloud Teddi. Your drive and determination has so much for women to look at and also find their confidence, we learn that from you!! You're 1 hell of a Warrior today, tomorrow + always. Sending you continued warm vibes and support from ND💜💪🏽."
One follower could relate to the feelings of anxiety that comes with the experience. "Hi Teddi! as someone who can totally relate to what you’ve gone through thank you for being so open and honest about your journey ❤️. What you never really hear anyone talk about with cancer is the extreme amount of anxiety that never leaves you until you get that all clear! It’s is almost worse then the cancer. I went through two different cancers in 4 years one being nodular melanoma. After a year of treatment for it and once scans came back clear I never realized how much I wasn’t actually breathing or taking full breaths! Again thank you for being so open with your journey."