Teddi Mellencamp, known for her time on reality television, opened up recently about her mental health journey. She is courageously fighting through a challenging stage in her fight against cancer. On Instagram, she had posted two side-by-side photos that showed an incredible transformation to her appearance in just four months. This post followed closely on the heels of her announcement that her cancer has metastasized to stage 4.
In her honest Instagram post, Mellencamp opened up about the emotional impact of her diagnosis. She’d already gone through immunotherapy and radiation, feeling she had cleared the cancer for good. She was crushed to find out that four more tumors had shown up. The treatment from her brain tumor made her lose her hair. To get ready for surgery, she had chosen to shave her hair into a crew cut.
Mellencamp humanized that vulnerability, letting us know that she, too, feels that pressure to be strong while faced with challenges. In her post, she stated,
“Sometimes I am so focused on ‘being strong’ that I forget I am allowed to be sad, cry it out, and feel very alone.” – Teddi Mellencamp
Her millions of followers and superstar celebrity friends immediately rallied around her, flooding the comments section with messages of support and healing. Real Housewives of Dubai star Caroline Stanbury was impressed by Mellencamp’s muscle definition and beauty, adding,
“you’re strong and beautiful ❤️❤️ watch bridesmaids always makes me laugh.”
City Council member Stephanie Hollman sent a message of support, stating, “we love you. At the same time, Marysol Patton suggested that Mellencamp tune into the series “The Righteous Gemstones,” which she produced, to add a little humor in this challenging period.
Along with telling us how she was feeling, Mellencamp wanted advice for what to watch on TV outside of Netflix and Hulu. She would often throw out the hashtag #overyoucancer, which was a reflection of her unyielding spirit to beat cancer.
People related to Mellencamp’s candor about her battle, which she described when she reflected on the time as such,
“I gotta tell you, some days I feel really really strong and some days I feel really really sad and alone.” – Teddi Mellencamp
She spoke to her audience as one of them—with humor, compassion and warmth. She welcomed anyone who was going through a challenging day to reach out by posting a heart emoji.
“If you are having a day where you can’t wait for it to be bedtime so you can start over tomorrow leave me a ❤️ We are not alone,” – Teddi Mellencamp
Mellencamp took on cancer with his characteristic candor. Her candidness brings her individual relief and encourages others struggling with the same issue to share their own stories.