Teddi Mellencamp Opens Up on Stage 4 Cancer Battle: “I Didn’t Know Giving Up Was an Option”

July 18, 2025: Teddi Mellencamp is opening up about the biggest lessons she’s learned while battling stage 4 melanoma — and why she refuses to let it define her.

In a heartfelt interview with Glamour on July 17, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 44, spoke candidly about the importance of health advocacy and mental strength amid her ongoing fight against the aggressive skin cancer that has now spread to her brain and lungs.

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Despite undergoing 17 surgeries, immunotherapy, radiation, and more, Mellencamp revealed her diagnosis was missed early on — even though she was seeing a doctor regularly.
“When you go to a doctor, you just assume that’s it. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do,” she explained. “I didn’t do the research at first because I didn’t want to know all the bad things… But there’s a difference between self-diagnosing and being your own health advocate.”

She recalled being shocked when she learned her melanoma had advanced:
“My highest melanoma was stage one. But they didn’t scan me because there was nothing above stage one — and look what happened.”

Still, Mellencamp remains resilient and credits her mental health journey with helping her stay strong.
“Something inside me told me, ‘You’re going to survive,’” she said. “Yes, I have days where I feel doubt, but I just told myself to keep showing up.”

She even shared a conversation with another cancer patient who admitted they stayed in bed for a year. “I said, ‘To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know that was an option,’” Mellencamp said. “I knew I had to take care of my mental health so I could keep moving forward.”

Now, Mellencamp focuses on gentle ways to stay active — like daily walks and swimming — even as her once-marathon-ready body feels unfamiliar.
“Before, I could run a marathon without training. Now, sometimes I can’t even open a tea bottle,” she said. “But I’m trying to give myself grace.”

For Mellencamp, healing isn’t just about treatment — it’s about perspective, persistence, and showing up every day.