Teddi Mellencamp is openly discussing how her melanoma tragically advanced to Stage 4, despite her diligent and proactive approach to health management.
In a recent interview with Glamour, the 44-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum recounted undergoing routine checkups every three months. However, her cancer remained undetected until it had metastasized, spreading to her brain and lungs.
“When you go to a doctor, you just assume that’s it. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. At first, I didn’t even really do the research on melanoma because I didn’t want to know all of the bad things,” she shared with the outlet.
Mellencamp recalled, “My highest melanoma on my shoulder was stage one. When I finally followed up on it, they were like, ‘We didn’t do the scans, because you didn’t have anything above a stage one.’ But look what happened.” This highlights a critical concern about the limitations of initial diagnoses and the need for comprehensive screening protocols.
The reality star, who has been transparently documenting her ongoing melanoma diagnosis and has undergone 17 surgeries for the invasive skin cancer, emphasized her sustained positive mindset throughout her challenging journey.
“Part of it was me not knowing the negatives of the situation and just going off my gut feeling,” she shared. She continued, “Something inside me told me, ‘You’re going to survive. You’re going to make it through this.’ Of course I have days where I feel doubt and feel worried, but I just told myself to keep showing up.”
The former Bravolebrity shares three children—Slate (12), Cruz (10), and Dove (5)—with her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave. She had filed for divorce from him in late 2024 after 13 years of marriage. However, the couple has since paused their divorce proceedings to prioritize co-parenting and Mellencamp’s intensive Stage 4 cancer treatment.
