Teddi Mellencamp Urges Fans To 'Trust Their Instincts' When It Comes To Health Issues

Teddi Mellencamp is drawing out a valuable lesson from her diagnosis!

The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" alum is sharing the shocking story about how she and her doctors did not quickly spot her cancer spreading, and the level of damage it had done to her system.

Teddi Mellencamp was first diagnosed with melanoma three years ago, and by April this year, she confirmed that the stage 4 cancer had metastasized to her brain and lungs.

Mellencamp bared it all in a sit-down with her friend, Kyle Richards, for Glamour on why her decision not to ask for scans during treatment delayed her discovery of cancer spread.

According to her, she had a blind trust in the doctors and felt they knew what they were doing. She also confessed to not doing in-depth research about her initial diagnosis out of fear.

Now, Mellencamp understands that there is a clear difference between self-diagnosing oneself and being "an advocate" of one's health. She reportedly felt safe and content with her routine checkups and assumed that if something was wrong, the doctors would have found out.

At the time, her highest melanoma on her shoulder was stage one, and she only discovered it had gone past that when she followed up on it.

Mellencamp recalled the medical team telling her they had cut back on the scan because she did not have anything above stage one in her body during her previous consultations.

Now, Mellencamp knows better, and she is encouraging everyone to plan for unforeseen health issues and make it a priority. She urged listeners to take active steps like getting life insurance in place and not wait till they are sick to put things in place.

She advised people to also develop the habit of having difficult conversations with their loved ones in anticipation of life's uncertainties. According to Mellencamp:

"Trust your gut instinct. There was a long time that I wasn't feeling well and didn't go to the doctor. I thought I had migraines, I thought I was going through menopause. I had self-diagnosed myself with 500 things."

Eventually, she found herself bedridden, and she came to understand why it is important to advocate for one's health at the first sign of any sickness.

Despite her recovery, she still struggles with some gray areas concerning her recovery, where she initially thought she was "going to get those good results and feel 100% like myself again. And I don't."

Mellencamp noted that over the course of her illness, she has now "had to come to terms with the new normal" and knows that it is okay to forget a word and feel really tired. 

She still remains "really proud of myself, acknowledging that it is okay to be disappointed that something does not happen according to projections.

Speaking of difficult conversations, Mellencamp shared that she had one with her father on an April episode of her podcast. The Blast reported that her dad had put a call through to her, discussing the topic of their family mausoleum and how she wants to be included in it.

Her father also extended the planning to include her three kids having their graves beside the immediate family, remaining united even in death. Mellencamp’s father encouraged her to include space in her will for the mausoleum and burial arrangements, which she was working on at the time.

They ended the call on a lighthearted note, concluding that she might take a trip to Indiana to visit the grave and possibly have a “hot girls never die” inscription on her tombstone.

The difficult call with Mellencamp’s dad came shortly after she announced that her melanoma had spread to other parts of her body.

John Mellencamp was also right on dad duty when the 44-year-old went in for surgery to evacuate her multiple brain tumors back in March. The Blast reported that the older Mellencamp rushed to be by his daughter's side and offered his full attention to make her feel very comfortable.

John has reportedly been a steady figure in her life, despite the chaotic history, showing up with maximum love and affection while she handles cancer treatment and raising three children.

Although terrified of the possible outcomes of her diagnosis, John reportedly masked his fear by maintaining composure in his daughter's presence, assuring her of a positive result.

The mother-of-three dropped a shocker on her "Diamonds in the Rough" podcast when she shared that things had gone south between her and now ex-boyfriend, Ricci Rea.

She referenced their very public sighting, where they appeared cozy, noting that the relationship had already ended by that time, but they remained good friends. On why she broke up, Mellencamp stated:

"It started getting to the point where it's starting to get a little bit more serious. I was like, 'I don't have the capacity for this right now.'"

She reiterated that Rea was good to her while the relationship lasted, but her health issues have forced her to prioritize rest and total recovery over any form of romance.

Mellencamp added that parenting and juggling immunotherapy treatment have also zapped her energy to the point that she is only willing to try with someone who is fine with the little she has to offer.

"If it's enough for you, great. If it's not enough, I won't be upset. I mean, yes, my feelings will probably be hurting, but this is all I got to give," she declared.

All road leads to Teddi Mellencamp's recovery.