Teddi Mellencamp, a star of ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,’ has disclosed that her doctors missed a critical step in monitoring her melanoma, leading to a stage 4 diagnosis. The television personality emphasizes the importance of patient advocacy and highlights the need for proactive healthcare.
Mellencamp’s case underscores the potential risks of relying solely on medical professionals without taking an active role in one’s health. The reality star has also shared her ongoing treatment details, revealing the emotional and physical toll of her battle with a deadly form of skin cancer.
During a recent interview with Glamour, Mellencamp recounted her experience with the healthcare system, expressing frustration over the oversight. “When you go to a doctor, you just assume that’s it. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do,” she told the outlet. “At first, I didn’t even really do the research on melanoma because I didn’t want to know all of the bad things.”
Her case highlights the importance of being proactive in one’s healthcare. According to Mellencamp, her highest-stage melanoma was a stage one lesion in her shoulder. Since her previous diagnoses hadn’t exceeded stage one, doctors allegedly made the call to forgo full-body scans—something Mellencamp now believes was a major misstep as they didn’t catch her melanoma spreading.
“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 on your body,’” she recalled. “But look what happened.” Mellencamp urged others to take a more proactive role in their healthcare. “It’s really being an advocate for yourself and your health if you’re not feeling good,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Mellencamp remains determined. She continues to undergo treatment and has kept her fans updated via social media, where she shares not only her medical journey, but also the emotional toll it’s taken. Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer earlier this year after her melanoma metastasized in her brain and lungs. She underwent surgery to remove several masses and has been receiving immunotherapy and radiation.