Teddi Mellencamp Reunites with Childhood Friend Shep Rose Ahead of Cancer Treatment: 'The Perfect Pre-Radiation Thing' - lulu

Shep Rose (left) and Teddi Mellencamp. Photo: 

Teddi Mellencamp/Instagram

Teddi Mellencamp and Shep Rose go way back!

During an Instagram Q&A on Monday, March 17, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum revealed that she and the Southern Charm star knew each other long before their Bravo days. Reflecting on their childhood memories growing up in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the two said they always had fun together.

“Teddi had a great house on the beach, and we would all ride our bikes over there and jump in the pool,” Rose, 44, explained. 

“We thought it was so cool that we could jump off from the side!” Mellencamp, 43, remembered.

“And she had a trampoline that was built into the deck so you could really get creative,” he continued.

“It's funny that your memories are coming to my house and my memories are going to yours,” she noted, saying that her favorite event of the year was always Rose’s family Christmas party. 

“It was like, honestly, getting into the Met Gala,” she laughed. “He would check the list to see if we would get in.”

Teddi Mellencamp (left) and Shep Rose. 

Elyse Jankowski/FilmMagic; Ivan Apfel/Bravo via Getty

She added: “Then you felt bad, because sometimes you wouldn't put some of your friends on the list and then try to talk to [security] and be like, ‘Can you go ahead and put so and so on the list?’”

Although they were close, Mellencamp assured her followers their relationship was always platonic. “I'm one of the only people in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina that did not make out Shep,” she quipped. 

“That's true,” he replied. “It's very unfortunate. I know it's one of your biggest regrets.”

Mellencamp then shared a photo of her hugging Rose with the caption: "Teasing @relationshep was the perfect pre-radiation thing I could think of."

Rose also shared the photo on his Instagram and wrote a heartfelt note to his friend. "In case you all didn’t know my hometown friend @teddimellencamp recently had several tumors removed from her brain 🧠. There’s still lots to battle but we decided to meet up if she was up for it. We met in Encino, a magical village in the valley," he wrote in the caption.

"As soon as i saw teddi and gave her a hug we argued about where to sit. She then rather bluntly announced 'i almost died and i still might - make a decision for once Shepard.' We then proceeded to just laugh," he continued. "We love dark humor and Teddi is the queen of it. So we ordered a loaf of bread (with oil and balsamic vinaigrette for dipping) and chicken parm pasta. More laughs than anything. She has a keen interest and derives much pleasure in my misadventures . Which i think means that she loves me. 😊 🥰"

Teddi Mellencamp and Shep Rose. 

Teddi Mellencamp/Instagram

The sweet reunion comes the same week Mellencamp is set to begin radiation amid her cancer journey. She first learned that she had tumors in her brain in February after experiencing “unbearable” headaches earlier that month.

On Feb. 12, she had surgery to remove the tumors, but doctors found three more in her brain, as well as one tumor in each of her lungs. She is now undergoing immunotherapy every three weeks and is starting radiation.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a series of Instagram Stories on Saturday, March 15, Mellencamp opened up about the impact that the treatments and her diagnosis have had on her both mentally and physically.

“I know I speak a lot about all the fun and amazing things that I’ve been doing since all of the tumors, and I have been doing them, and it’s been my way of peace, of coping, finding happiness, but I also wanted to send a reminder and a gentle, like, ‘I feel you,’ if you’re going through this, going through a hard time, that is also normal,” she said while lying down in bed.

“We all find our new normal, and we do the best that we can to feel as good as we can in that moment,” Mellencamp continued. “Some nights [are] really hard. Tonight’s one of them.”

She previously called her recovery from surgery “some of [her] darkest, saddest days” — including one day in which she threw up 85 times.