No one wants to hear the “C” word when they go to the doctor. The American Cancer Society reported that in 2022, there were 1.9 million new cancer cases. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It goes after the young and old. The healthy dads with two kids, the working mother, and celebrities. Teddi Mellencamp has been an advocate for getting your body checked out after finding out she had skin cancer. During her time on and off the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she has inspired many to take their health seriously.
Kyle Richards encouraged Teddi Mellencamp to go to the doctor
Teddi has always been about accountability. But like most, the idea of being diagnosed with cancer can be extremely daunting. Luckily, it helps to have close friends around who will take care of you when you’re in doubt. Fans will recall that Kyle Richards was the one who pushed Teddi to first get checked. In her Melanoma Research Foundation blog, Teddi wrote, “The mole on my back had been there for years. Did I notice it had changed? Yes. And did part of my brain try to tell me I should probably get it checked out? Also, yes..”
Teddi waited, noting, “But with anxiety like mine, you’ll make any excuse to avoid the doctor. And then one afternoon while working out with my friend, Kyle Richards, she insisted I go get it looked at. Immediately. Like, right then. And so I was ushered into her car and driven to a dermatologist, where a biopsy was immediately taken. It was melanoma.” Teddi was officially diagnosed in 2022. During a gala, Teddi credited her friend, sharing, “The truth is if she hadn’t forced me to go to that appointment, I don’t know that I’d be up here having this conversation right now.”
Teddi Mellencamp talks about the importance of doctor’s orders
After being diagnosed with stage II melanoma, Teddi went back for her three-month follow-up. She posted on Instagram, sharing, “They said I had another abnormal spot near my last one so they did a biopsy. I got the call this morning: Stage 2 melanoma.” The news was devastating, but she still encouraged followers to take doctor’s orders seriously, adding. “Moral of this story: if a doctor says, ‘come in every 3 months,’ please go in every 3 months. I so badly wanted to blow this off. ‘What could happen in 3 months?’ I thought. Apparently a lot.”
At the time, she revealed, “Next Wednesday, I go to an oncologist to have it cut out and come up with a game plan on next steps. Of course, this is all pending some additional testing and biopsies of other spots nearby that were taken today. I continue to share this journey because I was a 90s teen, putting baby oil and iodine on my skin to tan it. Never wearing sunscreen or getting my moles checked until I was 40 years old. This has been such a wakeup call for me, and I hope to all of you, to love and protect the skin you’re in.”
Post after post, Teddi Mellencamp is trying to educate
Shortly after Teddi posted a new update noting she had to have two more moles removed. She thanked worried fans for their prayers, adding, “Due to so many melanomas in one area, they are worried to cut in there and try to remove because they aren’t sure what they would be cutting into.” But Teddi was ready for a fight and revealed a new treatment program. She wrote that she would be undergoing a PET scan and seeing a hematology specialist and a surgical oncologist.
Teddi broke down how a treatment plan is formulated for each patient. She wrote, “Your doctor will determine your treatment plan based on the other factors of your disease, your age, and your ability to tolerate treatment. Then I will head over to see the surgical oncologist, and we will go from there.” The process was a lot to digest as Teddi also shared, “I will need wide excision surgery removal and nodal mapping. During the surgery, they will also do a sentinel lymph node biopsy. Because with a PET scan, they can’t see if it’s spread to lymph nodes, I am getting 2 more biopsies of new locations today and surgery is on Tuesday.”
Teddi Mellencamp gets good news
In December 2022, Teddi proudly showed off her battle wounds in hopes of encouraging others. The Two Ts In A Pod host noted, “The margins are clear. I also got genetic testing results and there are no mutations we need to worry about. And I just had a healthy mammogram (please don’t forgo these either, ladies). So I say peace out to 11 melanomas and 3 lymph nodes— I gladly hardly knew ya— and hello to a new sense of peace.”
Teddi was positive about her future, noting, “It’s been eye-opening how quickly things can change, and it’s a lesson I will never forget, nor quit speaking up about. I want nothing more than for all of you to be proactive so you do not have to experience this. Let my scars be your inspiration to get preventative care.”
Teddi Mellencamp has another biopsy
However, in January 2023, Teddi revealed her medical team had found three new spots. At the same time, Teddi also asked the doctors about a lump on her neck. “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.” Fans were worried for Teddi. But the mother of three shared she was “dealing as best I can with something out of my control. Things I can control: staying on top of my appointments, self-checks, and asking my doctors questions.”
Teddi Mellencamp keeps her journey honest
For the most part, Teddi has been positive during her journey, but everyone has a good cry once in a while. The RHOBH star shared an update that included a crying selfie. “At this point, I am starting to black-out these memories like a portion of my childhood. I slept maybe 2 hours last night because my mind was racing.” After sharing, she had her “12th or 13th” spot detected. Teddi tried her best to encourage her fans by writing, “Whatever you’re going through, letting the negative fester only holds you down. And we aren’t here to be held down. We are stronger than that. We are meant for more than that. So if you’re struggling with something today, this is for you.”
Teddi Mellencamp has a setback
In December 2023, Teddi opened up about a setback. She wrote, “Long story short: The immunotherapy treatment did not work on my melanomas. I had a wide excision removal on my most recent melanoma last week to see if it did and sadly it did not.” But a year later, Teddi shared some positive news.
“I just got done having a little cry, but it’s a good one. It’s the first time in over two years I’ve gone in for my three-month check and not had to have a biopsy because I have another cancerous spot,” Teddi cried. “Both me and my doctor, we just looked at each other and we were like, ‘What?’ It was, oh my gosh, such a good feeling.”
Teddi Mellencamp is a fighter
In February 2025, Teddi shared some life-changing news with fans. She took to Instagram to reveal that she was hospitalized after suffering “severe and debilitating headaches. Doctors found multiple tumors on my brain, which they believe have been growing for at least 6 months.” Teddi went on to say that two tumors would be removed the same day and the “remaining smaller tumors will be dealt with via radiation at a later date.”
In her only update since surgery, Teddi shared a photo of herself having her staples removed from her head. She wrote, “I am so grateful for the incredible surgeons, doctor, and nurses who made my surgery a success and my recovery process comfortable. In full transparency, more tumors were removed than expected: 4 in total. This fight is not over, but that round has been won.” Teddi, if you are reading this, just know everyone here at Reality Tea is sending positive vibes your way. We applaud you for sacrificing sensitive information all in the name of helping others.
The American Cancer Society urges that early detection can save lives. Call 800.227.2345 for information.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is available to stream on Peacock.
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