Teddi Mellencamp Shares Tearful Update After Immunotherapy for Melanoma ‘Did Not Work’

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave shares disappointing news about her journey with melanoma.

On Monday, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills The alum, 42, posted a video to her Instagram Story explaining that the immunotherapy treatment didn’t work for the melanoma on her back.

“I just cried so hard,” she said as she let out a deep sigh. “I just got a call from the doctor that the immunotherapy didn’t work, it wasn’t successful.”

“So I have two different options,” Mellencamp explained. “I can do a big skin graft on my stomach or my arm, but that’s a very long recovery, or I can go in for another wide excision surgery on December 26th. They’re going to send in a plastic surgeon too because it’s such a big area and then I just keep getting checks every three months.”

“So here we are. People, check your skin,” she added.

Teddi Mellencamp begins immunotherapy after her latest melanoma diagnosis

Charles Sykes/Bravo/Getty; Teddy Mellencamp/Instagram

The health update comes shortly after Mellencamp clapped back at a follower who criticized her appearance while undergoing treatment.

On Sunday, she posted a photo of herself dressed up with husband Edwin Arroyave as the couple attended an ’80s-themed holiday party. However, one Instagram user commented that her “face looks sick”.

“Your face is too thin! You look like you’ve been starving yourself!” the user wrote before Mellencamp responded: “It was an 80s themed party and I was on immunotherapy for my melanomas. I’m sick. But I hope you felt better by commenting above. So kind.”

The commentator later apologized for the painful message, wishing her well.

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Teddy Mellencamp.

Ella Hovsepian/Getty

On September 13, Mellencamp announced on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with melanoma for the thirteenth time in the past year.

Since then, Mellencamp — who was first diagnosed with stage two melanoma in October 2022 — has been open about starting an immunotherapy cream as part of her treatment plan.

“I was given the option to have surgery and have all the skin on my right shoulder removed and replaced with a skin graft or use this immunotherapy cream. My edges were not clean after my last surgery so this is what makes the most sense. I chose the cream to start with ” she wrote in an Instagram post in October, alongside a video clip showing her 11-year-old daughter Slate applying cream to her mom’s shoulder.

Mellencamp told PEOPLE in December 2022 that her experience with the disease inspired her to use her voice to encourage others to be vigilant when new spots appear on their skin and to follow up with their doctor.

“Skin checks are essential,” she said at the time. “We’ve seen how quickly it can go from one melanoma to 12. So when your doctor says, ‘See you in three months,’ that’s three months.”

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Source: HIS Education