By Kayla DeKraker
REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS star Teddi Mellencamp, the daughter of legendary rock singer John Mellencamp, said her battle with stage four melanoma deepened her relationship with her father.
“He was there with me at the hospital every day,” she told Fox News Digital. “So, I mean, he’s seen the good, the bad and the ugly. But I talk to him — I mean, he calls every day to check in.”
She added, “This is a hard journey and especially when you’re in treatment. I thought the surgery was going to be the hardest part, but it’s the treatment that’s really been weighing on me.”
Mellencamp explained how a cancer diagnosis can change you in ways you don’t expect.
Related: Teddi Mellencamp Celebrates Being Melanoma-Free: ‘Forever Grateful’
“I’ve found ways to be vulnerable with him that I never…thought I needed, and I mean, having cancer changes you,” she said. “And I never really believed that and then now, it’s just…what’s important to me has completely shifted.”
Last month marked one year since Mellencamp learned her reoccurring melanoma spots had spread to stage four. She posted a photo to Instagram of herself in the hospital, reflecting on the difficult time.
“A year ago today I went into the ER thinking I had migraines and within 24 hours was having surgery on the plum-sized stage 4 tumors on my brain,” she wrote on Feb. 9. “I have a lot of anxiety surrounding today but also a lot of gratitude. Gratitude for the doctors and nurses who took care of me, gratitude for my family and friends for supporting me, and gratitude for all the love that you have poured into me.”
She concluded, “Trust your instincts. Get checked ❤️”
The NIH National Cancer Institute explains, “Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread.”
“I think you just, you know, I… for over a year I thought I had migraines, and it was brain cancer. So, I think, you know, you just have to trust your instincts and go to the doctor. You know, we’re not professionals, so if you feel something that doesn’t feel right, take action,” Mellencamp told Fox News Digital.
Thankfully, as of this past October, Mellencamp has had no detectable cancer but continues treatment. She continues to lean on her friends and family for support.
Read Next: Reality Star Teddi Mellencamp Undergoes Surgery to Remove Brain Tumors
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