LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent Instagram post, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave shared a candid update on her ongoing battle with melanoma.
The 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' alum posted a picture of the melanoma on her back to reveal to her fans on Wednesday, November 8, that the initial immunotherapy treatment had not been working.
Speaking about the immunotherapy she had begun in October, the reality star said, "Now that the noise has died down and I can focus on the important things like my family and my health, I wanted to give a little update since so many of you have been asking."
"My initial prescription of immunotherapy wasn’t working, so my doctor upped the dosage. And now we are seeing some movement. So in two weeks I will have a doctor’s visit and we will see how effective it has been," she added.
"Thank you for all of your prayers and messages. Couldn’t do it without you all," Mellencamp concluded her health update.
Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave was diagnosed with her 13th melanoma
Mellencamp took to Instagram on September 13 to announce the diagnosis of her thirteenth melanoma in 2022.
She was first diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in October 2022 and since then, she has been candid about her treatment plan and disclosing that she has started the use of an immunotherapy cream.
"I was given the option of doing surgery and having my entire right shoulder's skin removed and replaced with a skin graft or using this immunotherapy cream," she wrote on her Instagram post in October.
"My margins weren’t clear after my last surgery so this is what makes most sense. I chose the cream to start," Mellencamp captioned alongside a video clip of her daughter, Slate, 11, applying the immunotherapy cream to her mother's shoulder.
Speaking to People in December 2022, Mellencamp said that her battle with skin cancer has made her realise the importance of vigilance and encouraged her to use the platform to advocate regular skin checks.
She talked about timely medical attention especially when new spots appear on a person's skin.
"Skin checks are essential. We've seen how quickly it can turn from one melanoma to 12," she said.
"So when your doctor says, 'See you in three months,' it's three months," Mellencamp added.
When she first opened up about her cancer diagnosis in a tear-eyed selfie post, the reality star said, "I have been debating whether I should even publicly talk about this or not but then I remember how every time I post about skin cancer someone else is reminded to get checked."
