The RHOBH alum opened up about her experience two years after she was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma.
Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave is shedding more light on her ongoing health issues.
When she was first diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum mistakenly believed her cancer journey would be easy and short-lived. But in the two years since her first excision, Teddi has received more than a dozen melanoma diagnoses and 16 surgeries, which have left her with back scars and unanswered questions.
Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave admits she initially downplayed her melanoma
“I remember thinking, ‘Okay, well, after this surgery, it means I’ll be done,’” Teddi recently recalled to E! News. “And then every time I would go back, there was something more, there was something more severe, there was another.”
Thankfully, Teddi has faced the battle with a solid support system, which includes her husband, Edwin Arroyave, and their children. And although she tries to keep a positive disposition, the West Coast mom admitted she sometimes worries about the what-ifs.
“You have very dark moments where you think, ‘What if I don’t make it? What does that mean for my children? What does that mean for my husband? What does that mean for my business?’” she said. “You go through all those emotions.”
How Teddi deals with the "lows" of her cancer battle
Teddi said she maintains a healthy mental state through common methods of self-care, such as meditating, journaling, and the occasional “crash” day.
“I have big highs and lows depending on what’s going on with my surgeries and whatnot,” she said. “And then also having those days where I say, ‘I’m just going to let myself crash today. I have these three hours to myself, I’m going to let myself have a little cry, feel these emotions.’ Then it’s easier to process than when you pretesnd that everything’s perfect all the time.”
Teddi urges skin cancer screenings: "It's very important..."
Teddi was first diagnosed with melanoma in late 2022 after Kyle Richards noticed a concerning mole on her back. The RHOBH mom encouraged Teddi to get the spot checked out as soon as possible and even accompanied her former castmate to her doctor's appointment.
Teddi has since used her platform to promote preventative measures and regular screenings.
“I just assumed that all melanoma looked the same,” she said. “And I was like, ‘Well, my spots are red,’ or, ‘They’re this. It’s probably this.’ And just did all this self-diagnosis, which is really nothing, just avoidance… It’s very important that people know they should go to a certified, licensed dermatologist, to get their checks. And the check should take more than five seconds. It should be a full body check.”
