Teddi Mellencamp is sharing an update on her melanoma scare in the hopes that her fans will take sun protection seriously.
In March, the former star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” announced that she had a suspected melanoma removed after her former co-star Kyle Richards noticed some alarming discoloration on her back.
On Tuesday, the 41-year-old revealed that her dermatologist diagnosed her with stage 2 melanoma during a recent follow-up appointment.
“Despite my anxiety, I listened to the doctors and went in for my 3-month skin check last week since my previous melanoma. They said I had another abnormal spot near my last one so they did a biopsy. I got the call this morning: Stage 2 melanoma,” she wrote on Instagram.
The mother of four went on to explain that she will see an oncologist next week to get the spots removed and they will develop a game plan following additional testing and biopsies of additional spots that the dermatologist already removed.
“Moral of this story: if a doctor says, ‘come in every 3 months’ please go in every 3 months. I so badly wanted to blow this off. ‘What could happen in 3 months?’ I thought. Apparently a lot,” she wrote.
Mellencamp shared an emotional video in her Instagram story and urged her followers to get their annual skin checks. The reality star also posted several “before” photos of her spots before they were removed to raise awareness.
“I continue to share this journey because I was a 90s teen, putting baby oil and iodine on my skin to tan it. Never wearing sunscreen or getting my moles checked until I was 40 years old,” she wrote in her Instagram post. “This has been such a wakeup call for me, and I hope to all of you, to love and protect the skin you’re in.”
In March, Mellencamp explained that she had avoided her annual skin checks due to anxiety but now feels determined to raise awareness about the importance of sun protection and early detection.
“I find strength in being honest with you all and hope this helps others. Please let this be a reminder to take action on your own skin,” she wrote at the time.
