Teddi Mellencamp’s Alarming Health Warning Every Woman Needs to Hear

Teddi Mellencamp is using her platform to share a crucial message about health advocacy after her melanoma progressed to stage 4 despite regular medical checkups. The 44-year-old former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star opened up about her ongoing battle with metastatic melanoma in a revealing interview that highlights how even diligent patients can fall through the cracks of the healthcare system.

In a candid conversation with Glamour, conducted by her close friend Kyle Richards, Mellencamp shared the shocking details of how her cancer spread to her brain and lungs without being detected during routine appointments.

The reality star’s journey began in 2022 when she was first diagnosed with melanoma. Over the following years, she underwent 17 surgeries to remove various spots. Mellencamp believed she was staying on top of her health through consistent medical monitoring. However, in April 2024, she received devastating news. Her cancer had progressed to stage 4, having metastasized to her brain and lungs.

“When you go to a doctor, you just assume that’s it. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do,” Mellencamp explained. “At first, I didn’t even really do the research on melanoma because I didn’t want to know all of the bad things. But there’s a difference between self-diagnosing yourself and being an advocate for your own health.”

The podcast host revealed that despite her diligent approach to medical care, doctors never performed crucial scans. The medical team made this decision because her highest melanoma reading was only stage one. “I never really thought about it because I was like, ‘I go to a doctor every three months. Why wouldn’t they get me checked?’ My highest melanoma on my shoulder was stage one. 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.’ But look what happened.”