Teddi Mellencamp’s skin cancer journey through the years

Since being diagnosed with skin cancer, Teddi Mellencamp has used her platform to remind fans to take care of their skin.

Mellencamp revealed in March 2022 that she had a birthmark on her back removed. “This is a reminder to please get your annual skin check,” says the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum wrote in a Instagram statement at the time, in which she confessed that she avoided her own skin checks for “a very long time” due to “fear.”

Fellow Bravo star Kyle Richards was the one that prompted Mellencamp to consult a dermatologist. “When @kylerichards18 saw my back and it had changed color again, she immediately took me to the doctor, who within minutes said it looked like melanoma and performed major removal,” Mellencamp wrote. “Please let this be a reminder to take action on your own skin.”

Later that month, Mellencamp shared the good news that her melanoma was “in situ, meaning the cancer cells were in that part of my skin and have not spread deeper.”

She continued: “I really hope that by sharing all of this, I can encourage you all to get your skin checked annually. If I hadn’t gone in, I don’t want to think about how things could have gone differently. ”

Scroll down to follow Mellencamp’s skin cancer journey after her initial diagnosis:

October 2022

Mellencamp revealed that months after her initial consultation, she was diagnosed with stage II melanoma. “Melanoma Awareness Update. Despite my fear, I listened to the doctors and went in last week for my three-month skin check since my previous melanoma,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “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.’

She told fans to take doctor’s orders seriously, writing: “Moral of the story: If a doctor says ‘come every three months’, please go every three months. I wanted to call this off so badly. “What could happen in three months?” I thought. Apparently a lot.”

Mellencamp noted that as a teenager she applied baby oil and iodine to her skin to get a tan and didn’t start wearing sunscreen or having her moles checked until she was 40. I hope for all of you that we love and protect the skin you are in,” she concluded.

Mellencamp revealed in another Instagram posted that she had two more moles removed that also came back as melanoma. “Because of so many melanomas [sic] in one case they are afraid to cut into it and try to remove it because they are not sure what they would be cutting into,” she wrote, before outlining her new treatment plan, which involved having a PET scan and had to visit a hematology specialist. and a surgical oncologist.

October 2022

Mellencamp shared the results of her PET scan via Instagram, including photos of where her melanomas were removed. “They think I’m prone to melanoma,” she noted. ‘I need a broad decision [sic] surgical removal and mapping of the nodes. During the operation they will also do a sentinel lymph node biopsy. Because with a PET scan they cannot see whether it has spread to the lymph nodes.”

At another hospital, she was candid about her recovery after surgery social media update days later. “I don’t share this out of sympathy. I’m sharing because one of the things that keeps me going through all of this is your posts saying you are being tested,” Mellencamp wrote. “I am grateful to my family, friends and husband who have welcomed my pain and fear with open arms. I love you all so much and I just know that I will beat this cancer, with the help of my amazing doctors and nurses of course.”

Mellencamp ended the post on an inspiring note, writing, “Life comes in waves and we will always be stronger for it… on the good days and the bad 🖤.”

December 2022

Mellencamp showed her back and shoulder scars as she revealed that her multiple melanoma removal surgeries were successful. “The margins are clear. I have also received genetic test results and there are no mutations to worry about,” she stated. “And I just had a healthy mammogram (please don’t leave this one out either, ladies). So I say peace to eleven melanomas and three lymph nodes – luckily I barely knew you – and hello to a new sense of peace.

The co-host of the ‘Two Ts In A Pod’ podcast continued: ‘It was startling how quickly things can change and it’s a lesson I will never forget, nor will I ever stop talking about. I want nothing more than for you all to be proactive so you don’t have to experience this. Let my scars be your inspiration to get preventative care.

January 2023

Despite her previous moves, Mellencamp developed three new places where “biopsies needed to be taken.” She explained via Instagram, “I have had both white and brown melanomas; that’s why I keep sharing to get checked no matter what.

She also asked the doctors about a suspicious lump on her neck. “The ultrasound came back irregular,” Mellencamp noted. “I had the choice between a needle biopsy or complete removal of it; the doctor recommended starting with the biopsy, but there is a small chance that the biopsy will be inconclusive and we will have to remove the biopsy.”

Mellencamp said she was “coping as best she could with something I had no control over,” adding, “Things I can control: staying on top of my appointments, self-checks and asking questions of my doctors.”

May 2023

Mellencamp teamed up with the Melanoma Research Foundation to raise awareness about skin cancer by showing off her biopsy scars in a “#GetNaked” campaign photo shoot. That same month, she encouraged fans to do the same add sunscreen to their daily skin care routines.

September 2023

More than a year after her initial diagnosis, Mellencamp revealed that one of her biopsy spots came back as melanoma. “I can’t even remember if this is the 12th or 13th,” she captioned a tearful selfie via Instagram. “At this point I’m starting to darken these memories as part of my childhood. I slept maybe two hours last night because my thoughts were racing.”

Although the melanoma was caught early, Mellencamp explained that she would need “another surgery and additional biopsies next week.”

A day later she said ‘the key’ to coping her multiple health problems was “getting outside and moving my body, releasing my emotions [and] improve my mentality.” She added, “No matter what you’re going through, the negative sentiment is only holding you back. And we are not here to be held. We are stronger than that. We are meant for more than that. So if you’re struggling with anything today, this is for you.”

September 2023

After undergoing multiple biopsies, Mellencamp revealed via Instagram that the area of ​​her melanoma on her back is too “wide,” adding that doctors “no longer feel comfortable cutting [into it.” She explained, “They said I can wait a week so I can show at nationals but upon my return I will start on a 5-week immunotherapy cream.”

The cream is supposed to help the body’s immune system attack cancer cells and comes with side effects such as fatigue, blisters and inflammation. “Stay vigilant on getting your skin checked my friends. We can fight this 💕,” she concluded her post.

December 2023

Mellencamp opened up about a setback in her treatment.

“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,” she captioned an Instagram photo of her back, which displayed her scars from past procedures.

Mellencamp then shared that she will undergo surgery on December 26 “to remove a larger portion of the problematic area.”

She wrapped up the post by reminding her followers to “book your skin checks for the new year.”