Teddi Mellencamp’s Health: All About the ‘RHOBH’ Alum’s Melanoma Diagnosis
The reality star was diagnosed with the skin cancer in 2022 and has had surgeries to treat it. Find out more here.
Teddi Mellencamp, 42, has been open about her battle with melanoma since 2022, when she revealed her diagnosis. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star has been treated for the skin cancer by having many surgeries, and has been giving fans updates as her journey continues. She previously called her diagnosis a “wake up call” and admitted she never wore sunscreen or got her moles checked until she was 40 years old.
“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,” she wrote after revealing her diagnosis on social media. She added that she wants to “share this journey” because she was a “90s teen, putting baby oil and iodine” on her skin to get a nice tan.
Teddi shared quite a few photos from her most recent surgery on her Instagram Story on Wednesday, December 27. She said that she was “grateful” to have gone through the surgery and thanked her fans and friends for their many well-wishes after her surgery.
Find out more about Teddi’s diagnosis and her current health status below.
Teddi Mellencamp Diagnosed With Melanoma
Teddi was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in March 2022. She revealed she had a spot on her back removed after her friend Kyle Richards advised her to get checked because it looked like skin cancer. She also revealed photos of the spot and what it looked like after it was removed. “I am doing my best to stay present and positive as I head to [film] today. Grateful that I am busy to keep my mind from racing as I await the results,” she wrote at the time. “I find strength in being honest with you all and hope this helps others. Please let this be a reminder to take action on your own skin.”
In Oct. 2022, the television star revealed she was diagnosed with melanoma again, in an Instagram post that included a photo of her with a bandage. “Melanoma awareness update,” she wrote in the caption. “Despite my anxiety, I listened to the doctors and went in for my 3-month skin check last week since my previous melanoma. 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.”
“Now, next Wednesday I go to an oncologist to have it cut out and come up with a game plan on next steps,” she continued. “Of course, this is all pending some additional testing and biopsies of other spots nearby that were taken today.”
She also took to her Instagram Story to further update her followers around the same time. “So I just finished my workout and got the call from the doctor that that other spot came back melanoma and they asked me to come right in. So I’m here,” she said as she held back tears, in a video. “I’m facing my fears and making sure that I stay on top of these doctor’s appointments and I’ll keep you guys posted. It’s so important. go get your skin checks.”
Teddi ended up needing a total of 12 melanomas removed over a period of eight months, after the initial March 2022 diagnosis.
What is Melanoma?
Melanoma is “a type of skin cancer that develops when melanocytes (the cells that give the skin its tan or brown color) start to grow out of control,” according to the American Cancer Society. The website also states that melanoma is “much less common than some other types of skin cancers,” but that makes it “more dangerous because it’s much more likely to spread to other parts of the body if not caught and treated early.”
How Long Has Teddi Mellencamp Been Sick?
Teddi revealed she was first treated for skin cancer in March 2022. By Oct. of the same year, she revealed she received another diagnosis and ended up having multiple surgeries to have a total of 12 removed over a period of eight months. In Dec. 2022, she revealed she was cancer-free and not genetically predisposed to other cancers. She also encouraged others to be on top of their skin health checks.
“During the pandemic, we avoided things that we thought weren’t essential. But skin checks are essential,” she said at the time. “We’ve seen how quickly it can turn from one melanoma to 12. So when your doctor says, ‘See you in three months,’ it’s three months.”
How is Teddi Mellencamp Today?
In Sept. 2023, Teddi revealed that she received another melanoma diagnosis. She shared a selfie in which she looked upset and another photo that showed the spot on her back that had recently been biopsied. “I found out late yesterday afternoon that the most recent spot biopsied is another melanoma,” she wrote in the caption of the post. “I can’t even remember if this is the 12th or 13th one. 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.”
“I am so grateful for my 3-month checkup because we caught this one early,” she continued. “This means another surgery next week and additional biopsies. As I lay here with tears in my eyes and worry, I know my kids will be up soon. I have a podcast at 10. Life goes on. I am also reminded of my faith and the reminder I keep telling myself, “We can do hard things.” We have so many beautiful things to look forward to, so if you woke up today feeling lost or scared, I encourage you to make a list of some of the things you are truly grateful for and what you are most excited about.”
One day after she revealed her 13th diagnosis, she shared a video of herself running and talking about her situation. “Even on your toughest days, movement will help get you through it,” she emotionally said. “I’ve been running the gamut of emotions since my latest melanoma diagnosis — and yes, there are moments I just want to stay in bed and ignore the world. But the world still turns no matter what, so getting out there and moving my body, releasing my emotions, fixing my mindset— that’s the key.”
“I’m all for positive manifestation, what you believe you can achieve, all that,” she continued. “But I’m also about having the hard conversations with ourselves. And I’m just thinking about all the things I can’t control — that I was turned down for life insurance or I haven’t written a last will and testament.”
“And I truly do believe it’ll be a long time before I ever need those things, but I have to do it. I have to take action and not talking about the hard things doesn’t make them go away, it just makes them fester,” she concluded. “But we can all do this together. We can fight the good fight.”
Teddi revealed that she had her 13th melanoma removed on Tuesday, December 26. She documented her hospital visit on her Instagram Story, and she showed photos of her surgery scars after the procedure. After the procedure, she said that the messages from fans “totally warmed my heart,” per People. She also even though her back felt “tight” and she hoped that the surgery removed all of the cancer, she said she was glad to have done it. “I’m out of surgery. Now I’m just waiting to be discharged to the nursing facility. It’s pretty painful but I am so grateful that they did such a great job,” she said.