Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp has reflected on the “extreme” highs and lows of her ongoing treatment for stage four cancer.
Mellencamp was diagnosed with melanoma in 2022, which advanced to stage four in February this year when it spread to her lungs and brain. She underwent brain surgery and is currently receiving immunotherapy treatment to reduce the size of the tumours.
In an update posted on Tuesday (6 May), Mellencamp shared a selfie in which she was wearing a blonde wig, telling followers that her emotional state often influences her decision to cover her head or leave it bare.
“The day-to-day decision of wig versus no wig,” she captioned the post. “Crying days I tend to pick the wig.”
She added: “The highs and lows of treatment for stage four brain and lung tumours are pretty extreme. Please go get your yearly checks.”
Mellencamp then urged her followers to get booked in for their check-ups, saying: “It’s melanoma awareness month. No better time than now to book and remind a friend or loved one.”
In a separate post shared on Wednesday, Mellencamp said she was “feeling good” as she filmed herself jogging and smiling on a treadmill ahead of another round of immunotherapy next week.
“I just rescheduled my immunotherapy so I’m feeling a touch better. Not quite as sick. So I’m trying to do a little jog while I can. And next week, it’s back to immunotherapy.”
Last month, she shared a positive update after her doctors said they believe the treatment is working because her tumours had “significantly shrunk”.
“The crying is already done. I just finished with all of my scans and tumours have significantly shrunk, which doctors believe means that this [treatment] all will work and that I will be back to myself and feeling good,” she said.
Mellencamp noted her doctor has ordered her to complete two remaining immunotherapy sessions, but after that, she should be “cancer-free”.
“I’m gonna keep a positive outlook because that’s the way that my doctor just spoke to me,” she added. “He’s like, ‘You did this. You got this.’”
Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, it works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.
In a recent interview with Nightline, Mellencamp detailed the side effects of the treatment and the toll it had taken on her body.
“I would say the hardest thing for me is I’ve always been a super active person, and, like, I cannot do the things I was used to doing,” she explained, before noting that she could barely walk one mile when she’s “used to running seven miles” a day.
“I really like to have control, and this is completely out of my control. And for the first time, I’m really scared,” she said.
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