Teddi Mellencamp, daughter of singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, has revealed she has been diagnosed with multiple brain tumours and will undergo emergency surgery.
The 43-year-old shared the news on Instagram on Wednesday, explaining that doctors made the discovery after she had been hospitalised due to “severe and debilitating headaches” for several weeks.
“Yesterday, the pain became unbearable, and I had to be hospitalised. A CT scan and MRI revealed multiple tumours on my brain, which doctors believe have been growing for at least six months,” she wrote.
“Two of the tumours will be surgically removed today, while the smaller ones will be treated with radiation at a later date,” Mellencamp continued. “I am grateful to be surrounded by my children, family, friends, doctors, nurses, and surgeons who are doing everything possible to help me recover.”
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star expressed her appreciation for the support she has received throughout her journey.
She also posted a selfie with her head shaved as she prepared for surgery. “Didn’t have this look on my bucket list,” she joked in an Instagram Story video, adding, “My best look.”
This isn’t the first time Mellencamp has shared her health struggles with her followers. Just last week, she posted on Instagram to raise awareness on World Cancer Day.
She shared a photo of a past surgery scar from her stage 2 melanoma diagnosis, writing: “It’s #WorldCancerDay, so I’d like to remind you to book your skin checks. If this is your first time seeing this, I recently shared my full melanoma journey on @tscpodcast—give it a listen when you can. If you’ve seen it before, take this as a reminder. Who’s making their appointment today?”
In the second slide of her post, the Two Ts in a Pod podcast host shared a clip where she spoke about a “ginormous patch” on her shoulder that had been there since birth.
“And then I started getting these—well, I don’t know, they almost looked like sunspots. About three years ago, I was on a run with Kyle [Richards] and our friend Jen. They said, ‘Teddi, those marks on your back—you need to see a doctor.’ I didn’t take it seriously. I didn’t realise skin cancer was such a big deal,” she admitted.
That changed quickly when a doctor examined her back and said, “You’ll need to see an oncologist, but I’m cutting this one out now, and we’ll start the process.”
“Over the next three years, I think I had over 20 surgeries,” she added.
In 2022, Mellencamp revealed on social media that she had been diagnosed with melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer.
“I got the call this morning—stage 2 melanoma. Next Wednesday, I’ll see an oncologist to have it removed and plan the next steps. Of course, this depends on further tests and biopsies of other nearby spots taken today. The moral of the story: if your doctor says, ‘Come in every three months,’ then please go every three months,” she urged.
Melanoma is a serious type of skin cancer that affects melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, according to Melanoma Canada.
The World Health Organization states that 85 per cent of melanomas in Canadian men and women over 30 are linked to UV radiation exposure, whether from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds.
Melanoma is one of the fastest-growing cancers worldwide. In Canada, cases have more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to Melanoma Canada. The organisation also reports that over 1,300 Canadians die from melanoma annually, though early detection significantly improves survival rates.
Magazine
info@luminarytimes.com
+1-8308642693
