Teddi Mellencamp Shares Update on Her Melanoma Journey: "All Good"

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave has been sharing updates on her cancer battle and her latest reveals some good news for the The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum as she recovers from a recent surgery.. 

Teddi took to Instagram on Jan. 12, 2024 to reveal that she "got the final report back from [her] oncologist" weeks after undergoing surgery to treat her melanoma.

The update revealed: “'Final report is all good. Some atypical areas, but no melanoma. We’ll have to keep a close watch on you, but all good now. I’ll want to see you in about 3 months. Sooner if you have any concerns.' I am forever grateful to my incredible doctors, nurses, family and friends. I absolutely will be diligent with my 3 month checkups. Please be the same with your skin checks. And, yes, I had to google what atypical meant. Don’t know why doctors have to use such big words."

Read on to hear more about Teddi's journey since she was diagnosed with melanoma.

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave's Melanoma Treatment and Journey

This good news came weeks after the Dec. 19, 2023 Instagram post in which she offered up another update on her melanoma journey, which came approximately two months after she appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and revealed that she was trying out a new melanoma treatment. 

"I'm on my 13th [melanoma]. The 13th one came back and my margins aren't clear. It's the first time that's happened," she explained on the October 2023 episode of WWHL. "Now, I've started an immunotherapy cream."

Sharing a photo of scars on her back, Teddi's caption on the post began, "Long story short: The immunotherapy treatment did not work on my melanomas. I had a wide excision removal on my most recent melanoma last week to see if it did and sadly it did not."

Teddi then shared her new plan of action.

More on Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave's Cancer Battle

Teddi's caption continued, "I have been presented with a couple new options and I have decided with my doctors that the best next course of action is have surgery on December 26th to remove a larger portion of problematic area."

Naturally, the prospect of surgery came with a lot of concerns. As Teddi put it at the time, "I don’t like going under and my anxiety is popping off but I have faith all will be ok and that the reason this is happening to me is because I am able to raise awareness. After surgery, when god willing my margins are clear, we will continue to monitor my body closely every 3 months."

In the meantime, Teddi said she planned to enjoy the holiday season with her family. "I am so looking forward to spending Christmas with my loved ones," she concluded before sharing an important message, "and hope this is a reminder to book your skin checks for the new year."

Teddi posts a photo of herself on December 29, 2022 to Instagram. Photo: Teddi Mellencamp/Instagram

Teddi Mellencamp's Skin Cancer Surgery

On December 27, 2023, Teddi took to Instagram to share an update after her procedure. "Surgery went well!" she captioned her post, which featured a photo of her recovering in bed, a video of her after the procedure, and a photo of her back pre-op. "I specifically went through a 'wide excision melanoma, soft tissue defect reconstruction with adjacent tissue rearrangement.' 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)."

"But the pain and discomfort are all worth it," Teddi continued. "The outpouring of love and prayers in the comments and DMs has left me speechless (which is tough). 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 Arroyave Shares Photo of Scar Following Skin Cancer Surgery 

Following her surgery, Teddi shared a photo of her scar on her back and offered an update on where things stand in her recovery as of January 1, 2024. "Someone just messaged me that my scar looks like a whale swallowing bubbles. It made me laugh," she shared alongside a photo (which you can see here) of the scar from the surgery. "I am not very artistic so I see a just see a 'Z'— what do you see?* *funnyresponsesonly."

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave's Skin Cancer History

In the months since she was first diagnosed with skin cancer, Teddi has received about a dozen more melanoma diagnoses, one of which she confirmed in September. The former ’Wife said she was initially hesitant to share the update, but decided to be transparent in the interest of others as she wants to do her best to raise awareness.

What's more, throughout her battle, Teddi's repeatedly expressed her gratitude to both her family and friends — Kyle Richards, in particular — for all of their support.

Any health-related information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, or before embarking on any diet, exercise, or wellness program.