Days after doctors discovered five more tumors in her body, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave decided it was time to get back on the horse. Literally.
Thank you for all the support. I am feeling great and got approval from doctors to [horseback] ride today,” she wrote in a March 8 Instagram Story. “This makes my heart and soul happy.”
Teddi Mellencamp defends horseback riding weeks after surgery
Teddi, who took up equestrian sports at an early age, acknowledged her decision to horseback ride would draw pushback and concerns about her post-brain surgery recovery; however, the Indiana native said she was confident in her ability and refused to let her health issues interfere with her happiness.
“If I see you at the show today and you have the urge to try to tell me not to, I kindly ask you refrain,” she said on Instagram. “I unknowingly rode with huge tumors in my brain for 6 months and those big ones are gone now. When you are sick or have cancer your mental health is very important. I must keep going and give myself joy and goals. I am going to always fight to be my best and find ways to smile and enjoy my life. Thanks for coming along this journey with me. I am in no place for negativity or discouragement.”
Teddi on her tumor diagnoses: "You tried to break my heart. You failed"
Teddi went on to share more videos from her riding day and expressed thanks to everyone who supported her.
She also gave a special shout out to her horse Toad: “My baby boy would do anything for me,” she wrote on Instagram. “I would do the same for him. Horse of a lifetime. Toad thank you for making me feel alive.”
Teddi then sent a strongly worded message to her tumors: “You tried to break my heart. You failed. I love life 2 much to waste more tears on you.”
Teddi reveals she has more tumors in her brain and lungs
The update came after Teddi underwent surgery to remove four tumors from her brain. A subsequent scan revealed she had three more tumors in my brain and two others on her lungs. Teddi said the growths stemmed from her years-long battle with skin cancer.
“These are all metastases of my melanoma,” she wrote in a March 6 Instagram. “The doctors are hopeful that immunotherapy will effectively treat them. I am feeling positive— that I will win this battle.”
