RHOBH alum Teddi Mellencamp says she feels like she was ‘stung by 20 bees’ after 15th melanoma surgery

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, Teddi Mellencamp, revealed she underwent her 15th melanoma surgery this week. 

The 42-year-old reality star, who is the daughter of legendary singer songwriter John Mellencamp, gave her followers the update on her ongoing battle with skin cancer  in a since-expired Instagram Story.

While on her way to have a spot on her arm surgically removed, the mom-of-three said she was doing her best to ‘be positive and happy’ as she prepared to visit her oncologist. 

She explained that she was relieved that the procedure would happen while she was awake, but admitted that getting the anesthesia always makes her emotional ‘for some reason.’  

‘I just cry everytime when I get the shots for some reason,’ Mellencamp wrote. ‘Not scared of shots it’s just the knowing they are about to cut into me again right after I get one.’

In a follow-up post, the podcast host shared a selfie of herself holding an ice pack on her arm while laying in bed. 

‘After 3 days of no sleep, I was able to nap,’ she captioned the Instagram Story. ‘I did wake up to my arm feeling like it was stung by 20 [bee emoji] but this too shall pass,’ she declared. 

The fitness influencer also shared a photo of the scars across her back with a plea for fans to get their skin checked for melanoma and to advocate for skin cancer awareness. 

She uploaded a photo of herself giving a thumbs up for the camera while recovering in a hospital bed, and also included a ‘before’ snap of her back before the procedure.

Her skin cancer journey began in March 2022 when her fellow RHOBH co-star, Kyle Richards, had pointed out spots on Teddi’s back. Later that same year in October, she was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma.

During a recent interview with Good Morning America, Mellencamp recalled the conversation with Richards.

‘She said, ‘Teddi, the spot on your back, one spot looks so different. I’m not allowing you to not go to the doctor right now and get it checked.”

The Real Housewives alum then explained that after trying immunotherapy cream and having ‘over a dozen spots removed,’ she was ‘still not in the clear.’

‘There was that initial heartbreak,’ Teddi admitted. ‘Because you’re like, ‘But I went through so much. Like, that should have worked…’

After the surgery, the mother-of-four opened up about her next steps, stating, ‘I want to start the New Year, and I want to keep fighting, I want to keep pushing.’

In December 2023, the star revealed to her fans that immunotherapy had not worked, explaining in a post, ‘I had a wide excision removal on my most recent melanoma last week to see if it did and sadly it did not.’