Teddi Mellencamp's battle with brain cancer has taken a further devastating turn - with the reality star said to be preparing her children 'for the worst.'
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 43, who previously said she felt she was on her 'deathbed', has already undergone more than 20 surgeries during her two and a half year cancer battle.
She was initially diagnosed with melanoma but now it has spread and she recently underwent surgery to remove four tumors from her brain.
Earlier this month, more tumors were discovered in her brain and lungs which has caused the daughter of rocker John Mellencamp to face the reality that her daughters Slate, 12, and Dove, five, and son Cruz, 10, may have to face life without her in the very near future.
'Teddi is a fighter – anyone who has watched Real Housewives can attest to that,' Radar reported.
'But it just saps her fighting spirit to think she had beaten this, only to receive another horrible diagnosis.
Teddi Mellencamp's battle with brain cancer has taken a further devastating turn - with the reality star said to be preparing her children 'for the worst.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 43, has already undergone more than 20 surgeries during her cancer battle. Seen here in 2024
'She had told her children that mommy's sick, but she is going to be okay, and now it's tearing her up to lay out the dark truth to them.
'Teddi does her very best to remain optimistic through her ordeals, but her main thought is with her family and beating this cancer for their sake.'
The outlet reported that oncologist Dr. Jerome Spunberg said Teddi 'faces a grim future of painful treatments and likely a tragic end.'
Spunberg has not treated Teddi's cancer, but her said, 'Melanoma is just notorious for spreading, and more times than not, more tumors pop up even as doctors treat the existing ones.
'She's likely facing a period of very serious and painful medical ordeals, and the cure rate, unfortunately, is very low.'
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Teddi took to Instagram on Saturday evening to share that she's struggling with eye pain due to swelling.
First, the mom-of-three posted a photo of daughter Dove playing with her 'bestie' on a trampoline.
She wrote, 'Shortly after this [photo was taken] nurse Kel and @lital_aschkenasy iced me up and got me ready to [lie] in silence and the dark because my eye pain comes back same time every day.'
Teddi announced her split from her husband of 13 years, Edwin Arroyave, in November; they share daughters Slate, 12, Dove, five, and son Cruz, 10
Last month, she underwent emergency surgery — a craniotomy with a tumor resection, where four tumors were removed from her brain
She was initially diagnosed with melanoma but now it has spread to her brain and she recently underwent surgery to remove four tumors from her brain. Seen here in 2024
The mom-of-three posted a photo of daughter Dove playing with her 'bestie' on a trampoline
The following post in her Instagram Stories was a video clip showing her resting with a large blue ice pack set on top of her head
And earlier this month, more tumors were discovered in her brain and lungs which has caused her to face the reality that her daughters Slate, 12, and Dove, five, and son Cruz, 10, may have to face life without her in the very near future
'Teddi is a fighter – anyone who has watched Real Housewives can attest to that,' Radar reported
The following post in her Instagram Stories was a video clip showing her resting with a large blue ice pack set on top of her head.
'Over it. I mean, the same time every single afternoon,' she said before taking a deep sigh and adding, 'I can't even watch my shows.'
Mellencamp went on to write, 'Surgery swelling, please go away. I would owe you one.'
In February she publicly shared that doctors discovered multiple brain tumors, resulting in emergency surgery.
The effects of the growing tumors were present for six months before the star finally sought medical attention.
She'd been suffering from migraines but ignored the pain and kept moving forward as she faced other issues in her life, Teddi said earlier this month on her Two Ts in a Pod podcast with Tamra Judge.
'I didn't want to face any of it. And I was like, I just need to keep moving forward. And if I keep moving forward, then everything's going to be fine,' she explained about her mindset at the time.
The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star then detailed her difficult recovery as she spoke about being discharged from the hospital after her February 12th brain operation.
She told listeners that she was forced to take 'disgusting sodium pills' because, in order to be discharged, she had to urinate. 'I couldn't pee, guys. I do not know why I could not pee,' Teddi said.
Mellencamp has been candidly documenting her road to recovery and earlier this month she gave her social media followers an update on how she's faring.
Uploading a selfie, she wrote, 'Update from my scans today: I have multiple tumors in my brain that weren't able to be removed via surgery. I also have 2 tumors in my lungs. These are all metastases of my melanoma.
'The doctors are hopeful that immunotherapy will effectively treat them.'
Showing a touch of humor, she added, 'I am feeling positive — that I will win this battle, that I got this wig (I like the short hair, just not the bald spots), and that I can remember all of Angelina's kids' names.'
She announced her split from her husband of 13 years, Edwin Arroyave, in November.
