Teddi Mellencamp’s Skin Cancer Journey Through the Years

Since being recognized with pores and skin most cancers, Teddi Mellencamp has used her platform to remind followers to maintain their pores and skin.

Mellencamp revealed in March 2022 that she had a mole eliminated on her again. “This is a reminder to please go get your yearly skin checks,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum wrote in an Instagram assertion at the time, confessing that she prevented her personal pores and skin checks “for a very long time” due to “anxiety.”

Fellow Bravo star Kyle Richards was the one who inspired Mellencamp to seek the advice of a dermatologist. “When @kylerichards18 saw my back and it had changed colors again, she immediately took me to the doc who within minutes said it looks like melanoma and did a big removal,” Mellencamp wrote. “Please let this be a reminder to take action on your own skin.”

Later that month, Mellencamp shared the excellent news that her melanoma was “in situ, which means the cancer cells were contained in that area of my skin and have not spread any deeper.”

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

Scroll right down to observe Mellencamp’s pores and skin most cancers journey after her preliminary prognosis:

October 2022

Mellencamp revealed that she had been recognized with stage II melanoma months after her preliminary session. “Melanoma awareness update. Despite my anxiety, I listened to the doctors and went in for my 3-month skin check last week since my previous melanoma,” she wrote through 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 instructed followers to take docs’ orders critically, writing, “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.”

Mellencamp famous that she used to place child oil and iodine on her pores and skin as a teen to get tan and didn’t begin carrying sunscreen or getting her moles checked till she was 40. “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,” she concluded.

Mellencamp revealed in one other Instagram submit that she had two extra moles eliminated that additionally got here again as melanoma. “Due to so many melanoma’s [sic] in one are, they are worried to cut in there and try to remove because they aren’t sure what they would be cutting into,” she wrote, earlier than detailing her new therapy plan, which concerned present process a PET scan and seeing a hematology specialist and a surgical oncologist.

October 2022

Mellencamp shared the outcomes of her PET scan through Instagram, together with snaps of the place her melanomas have been eliminated. “They think I’m predisposed to melanomas,” she famous. “I will need wide encision [sic] surgery removal and nodal mapping. During the surgery they will also do a sentinel lymphoid biopsy. Because with a PET scan they can’t see if it’s spread to lymph nodes.”

She obtained candid about her post-op restoration in one other social media replace days later. “I don’t share this for sympathy- I am sharing because one of the things that keeps me going through all of this is your messages telling me you are getting tested,” Mellencamp wrote. “I am grateful to my family, friends and husband who welcomed my pain and anxiety with open arms. I 💕 you all so much and I just know I am going to kick this cancer’s a**- with the help of my incredible doctors and nurses of course.”

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

December 2022

Mellencamp confirmed off her again and shoulder scars whereas revealing that her a number of melanoma elimination surgical procedures have been profitable. “The margins are clear. I also got genetic testing results and there are no mutations we need to worry about,” she said. “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.”

The “Two Ts In A Pod” podcast cohost continued: “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.”

January 2023

Despite her earlier removals, Mellencamp developed three new spots that “needed to be biopsied.” She defined through Instagram, “I have had both white and brown melanomas; this is why I continue to share to get checked no matter what.”

She additionally requested docs a few suspicious bump on her neck. “The ultrasound came back irregular,” Mellencamp famous. “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.”

Mellencamp mentioned she was “dealing as best I can with something out of my control,” including, “Things I can control: staying on top of my appointments, self-checks, and asking my doctors questions.”

May 2023

Mellencamp partnered with the Melanoma Research Foundation to assist elevate consciousness for pores and skin most cancers by displaying off her biopsy scars in a “#GetNaked” marketing campaign photograph shoot. That identical month, she inspired followers so as to add sunscreen to their day by day skincare routines.

September 2023

More than one 12 months after her preliminary prognosis, Mellencamp revealed that one other of her biopsied spots got here again as melanoma. “I can’t even remember if this is the 12th or 13th one,” she captioned a tearful selfie through Instagram. “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.”

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

One day later, she mentioned “the key” to coping with her a number of well being scares was “getting out there and moving my body, releasing my emotions [and] fixing my mindset.” She added, “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.”

September 2023

After present process a number of biopsies, Mellencamp revealed through Instagram that the space of her melanomas on her again is just too “broad,” including that docs “not really feel snug chopping [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.

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