Teddi Mellencamp is speaking out after a difficult battle with skin cancer. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star took to Instagram to share a post-op update with her fans, including a grisly image of her scar from melanoma removal surgery on her shoulder.
“Someone just messaged me that my scar looks like a whale swallowing bubbles,” she wrote in the caption. “It made me laugh. I am not very artistic so I see a just see a ‘Z’— what do you see?*”
“*funnyresponsesonly” she added.
Before showing off her scar, Teddi Mellencamp posted a sincere warning to fans about the importance of regular skin cancer screenings.
“Surgery went well!” she wrote alongside an image of herself recovering in bed.
“The outpouring of love and prayers in the comments and DMs has left me speechless (which is tough),” she joked. “I wish I could respond to everyone but please know I am forever grateful.”
“Please get your skin checked. I promise you do not want to go through this.”
Teddi Mellencamp Diagnosed With 13th Melanoma
Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in late 2022 after sharing that she had been diagnosed with her 13th melanoma in the past year.
She finally got the surgery to remove the cancerous cells on December 26, in a procedure she called a “wide excision melanoma, soft tissue defect reconstruction with adjacent tissue rearrangement.”
The Real Housewives star broke it down in layman’s terms as well. “Basically they cut out the area of my shoulder and replaced it with a flap of skin from below on my back (swipe to see the area before surgery),” she wrote. “But the pain and discomfort are all worth it.”
Fans of Mellencamp flooded the comments to wish the Real Housewife well following the dramatic procedure. Some even shared their own experiences and success stories with skin cancer.
“As a survivor of stage 3 in nearly the same spot, I applaud your determination!” one fan wrote. “22 years later no melanoma. Twice yearly full body checks have kept me clean, though have had many basil and squamous, so keep vigilant!”
“So happy to hear it went well! Sending you lots of love & high l hopes for a speedy recovery,” another said. “Wishing you a quick recovery! Stay strong!” added a third.