Teddi Mellencamp has shared new details about her ordeal with stage four cancer, which her doctors initially failed to see spreading.
She was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2022, and revealed in April of this year that the cancer had reached stage four and metastasized to her lungs and brain.
In the intervening years, she had a total of 17 melanomas removed from her back, but in spite of the interventions, the doctors did not realize the extent to which her illness had advanced through to her internal organs.
Once the brain and lung tumors were discovered, Teddi, 43, had to combat them with treatments as intense as surgery, radiation and immunotherapy.
Now, in conversation with her former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Kyle Richards, Teddi has revealed why she never asked for the scans that could have helped the doctors detect the spread earlier.Â
'When you go to a doctor, you just assume thatâs it. Iâm doing what Iâm supposed to do,' she confessed in an interview with Kyle for Glamour.Â
Teddi Mellencamp has shared new details about her ordeal with stage four cancer, which her doctors failed to see spreadingÂ
'At first, I didnât even really do the research on melanoma because I didnât want to know all of the bad things. But thereâs a difference between self-diagnosing yourself and being an advocate for your own health,' she argued.Â
'I never really thought about it because I was like, I go to a doctor every three months. Why wouldnât they get me checked?' Teddi recalled.
'My highest melanoma on my shoulder was stage one. When I finally followed up on it, they were like, âWe didnât do the scans, because you didn't have anything above a stage one on your body.â But look what happened.'
Her advice for others is 'that youâve got to plan ahead of time. You donât need to wait until youâre sick to do things like life insurance. Have those hard conversations with your family, because you never know when itâs going to come.'
She urged fans further to 'trust your gut instinct. There was a long time that I wasnât feeling well and didnât go to the doctor. I thought I had migraines, I thought I was going through menopause. I had self-diagnosed myself with 500 things.'
Teddi then shared: 'And then one day, I couldnât stand up. Itâs really being an advocate for yourself and your health if youâre not feeling good.'
She revealed: 'Now, something Iâve really struggled with is that I thought I was going to get those good results and feel 100% like myself again. And I donât.'
Teddi acknowledged that over the course of her illness she has 'had to come to terms with the new normal and know that itâs okay if I forget a word, if I feel really tired. Iâm still really proud of myself. Itâs okay to be disappointed that something canât happen, but still very proud that youâre showing up for you.'
She was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2022, and revealed in April of this year that thecancer had reached stage four and metastasized to her lungs and brain; pictured this MayÂ
Her latest post comes on the heels of the news that Teddi has broken up with her boyfriend Ricci Rea because she realized she does not currently have the energy to sustain a relationship alongside her health struggles.
DailyMail.com exclusively caught sight of her in a clinch with a new beau last month, and she then publicly confirmed she had a man in her life.
Meanwhile her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave, with whom she shares three children, has proven to be a source of support to her as she fights her illness, but they have publicly clarified that they are still proceeding with their divorce.
Last week, Teddi revealed that her latest romance had already fizzled by the time the public became aware of her new man's identity.
She clarified that Ricci 'couldn't be a nicer guy,' but noted that her own health had gotten in the way of their budding relationship, on her Diamonds in the Rough podcast with her ex-Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Erika Jayne.
The daughter of John Mellencamp explained that she 'had to call things off' once 'it started getting to the point where itâs starting to get a little bit more serious. I was like: "I donât have the capacity for this right now."'
Insisting that Ricci was 'a really nice guy, couldnât be a nicer guy,' she pointed out: 'IÂ donât feel my best, so when I have downtime I want to rest.'Â
She previously gushed over her new boyfriend after pushing back at trolls who have criticized her for dating while undergoing cancer treatment.Â
During an appearance on iHeart Radio's Diamond in the Rough podcast on Friday, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum spoke about the boundaries she has set while still undergoing treatment for her Stage 4 cancer.
'Iâve had to make it clear to people Iâve dated [that] this is where I am. This is what Iâve got,' she explained about her limitations of time and energy.Â
'If itâs enough for you, great. If itâs not enough, I wonât be upset. I mean, yes, my feelings will probably be hurting, but this is all I got to give. And if thatâs enough, great.âÂ
The influencer, 43, shares three children, Slate, 12, Cruz, 10 and Dove, five, with her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave, 48.Â
As for her current guy, with whom she has been seen, but has not publicly identified, she revealed, 'I havenât had to say any of those things, but he is really sweet and kind.'
Referencing a recent date, she said, 'He came and picked us up this week from the [horse] show, and he could tell that I was down. He sat and watched, like, one million hours of horse show rounds. Heâs just a good guy, she said.Â
'I know I deserve it, and itâs really nice,' Mellencamp added.Â
However, if the new guy decides it's all too much for him, the social media star said she would understand.Â
Teddi, who is pictured in February, argued in a new interview that 'thereâs a difference between self-diagnosing yourself and being an advocate for your own health'
'If for some reason you realize you need somebody that doesnât have three kids, 1 million activities to do, 87 podcasts, you want more time than Iâm able to give? I understand,â she told her cohost Erika Jayne.
Mellencamp said if that were the case she told him, 'I would not be mad at you for not even a second.'
However, it seems her new friend is in for the long haul. 'Heâs like, âI am willing to do anything to be able to spend time with you."'
When it comes to her cancer battle, the influencer had some hopeful news and some disappointing news to share on her own Two Ts in a Pod podcast with her friend and co-host Tamara Judge.Â
Following her most recent MRI, doctors found 'the tumors have not grown at all, if anything they're shrinking, I'm in the one-percent range of improvement.'
The Certified Wellness coach has been undergoing immunotherapy to treat her cancer which she has revealed often leave her felling tired and run down, following a series of radiation treatments.Â
Doctors removed four tumors from her brain in February, but others remained in her brain and lungs. In spite of the improvements, Mellencamp said the doctors told her that she still has stage 4 cancer.Â
All though she took the news with grace, the personal trainer said she was hoping they would tell her something else. 'I think I believe I'm going to go in and they're gonna say "wow, it's a miracle and you no longer have any cancer."'
