Prayers & Love For ‘Real Housewives’ Star Teddi Mellencamp After Her Brain Tumor Surgery; Crucial Information For Patients Facing This Situation

“Teddi is beyond grateful for the outpouring of love while she continues to recover.”

He also took to his Instagram story to share a photo of him and Mellencamp’s children—Slate, Cruz and Dove—before visiting their mom amid her recovery.

Mellencamp’s sister Justice Mellencamp also took to the social media platform to update the public on her sister’s recovery, the Daily Mail reports. She wrote on her Instagram story on February 16th, “Watching a loved one suffer is horrific.

“I’ve tried to get back to everyone who has reached out & I know Teddi will share her journey when she is ready. She is by far the strongest person I know.”

In a photo shared alongside the update, Mellencamp is seen resting in her hospital bed with Justice present.

Justice added, “So many emotions as I travel home today but her village is the best one I’ve ever seen and I’m so grateful for them! Your prayers are everything. Thank you.”

RELATED: Getting The Best Brain Cancer Care: How Local And Academic Centers Work Together For You

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Mellencamp’s family updates come after she shaved her head before going into surgery to remove two brain tumors, after multiple tumors were found in her brain.

“For the last several weeks I’ve been dealing with severe and debilitating headaches. Yesterday the pain was unbearable and required hospitalization,” she wrote in an Instagram post, shared last week.

“After a CT scan and MRI, doctors found multiple tumors on my brain, which they believe have been growing for at least 6 months. Two of the tumors will be surgically removed today — The remaining smaller tumors will be dealt with via radiation at a later date.”

Mellencamp continued, “I am blessed to be surrounded by my children, family, friends, doctors, nurses and surgeons who are doing everything possible to get me back into better health.

“Thank you to everybody who has reached out, and to everyone who has supported me along the journey.”

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Teddi Mellencamp’s Skin Cancer Journey

Before her brain tumors were discovered, Teddi Mellencamp was diagnosed with stage 0 melanoma back in March 2022. Then in October of that year, after keeping up with her skin checks, she was diagnosed with stage 2.

Since then she’s had a total of 16 cancer growths removed.

Last year, Mellencamp opened up about undergoing surgery to get cancer removed from her back following an unsuccessful immunotherapy treatment.

RELATED: Continued melanoma treatment after surgery.

She previously took to her Instagram story to warn fans, “This is just a reminder to all of you guys. Go get your skin checked. I was talking to someone the other day and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I tan easily, blah blah blah. So, I’m not prone to it.’

Mellencamp added, ” Anyhoo, I know that sometimes going to get things checked or booking your appointments can create uneasiness in us but it is so worth it,” according to People.

WATCH: What Is Mohs Surgery?

Melanoma starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. In melanoma, the cells change in a way that allows them to spread to other organs.

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma.

You’re most likely to find melanoma on sun-exposed skin areas like your face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, you might also find them in other places as well, like:

• The palms of your hands or soles of your feet
• On your eyes or mouth
• Under your nails

The top way to protect yourself is by staying out of the sun, especially during peak hours, and avoiding unprotected sun exposure because ultraviolet (UV) radiation can lead to melanoma.

When checking for melanoma, remember your ABCDEs

Understanding Brain Tumors

It’s unclear what type of brain tumors Mellencamp has, but it’s helpful to understand that brain tumors account for 85-90% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). In 2023, the ASCO estimated that 24,810 adults (14,280 men and 10,530 women) in the United States would be diagnosed with primary cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord.

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the main “processing center” for the body’s nervous system. The normal function of the brain and spinal cord can become difficult if there’s a tumor putting pressure on or spreading into normal tissue close by.

One Survivor’s Advice for Taking On Brain Cancer

There are many different types of brain and spinal cord tumors and some of which are more likely to spread into nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord than others. Slow-growing tumors may be considered benign, however, even these types of tumors can lead to serious problems.

Meanwhile, symptoms of brain tumors, as a whole, are usually caused by increased pressure in the skull. This pressure can stem from tumor growth, swelling in the brain, or blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the American Cancer Society explains.

General symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Balance problems
• Personality or behavior changes
• Seizures
• Drowsiness or even coma

Additionally, MD Anderson Cancer Center notes that changes in the ability to smell can also be a sign of brain tumors, and, more specifically, “strange smells” can be a symptom of seizures, which can result from brain tumors.

It’s important to note that these symptoms are not exclusive to brain tumors. Still, you should always speak with your doctor if you’re experiencing any health problems.

Meanwhile, treatment options for brain cancer depend on a variety of factors, including the size and type of the tumor as well as the grade of the tumor.

Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are options doctors use to treat brain tumors. Cancer warriors are encouraged to talk to their doctor about their situation and the best treatment options.

Treatment for Brain Tumors

We don’t know the details of Melencamp’s brain tumor. Experts say the surgery to try and remove a brain tumor should be conducted at a high volume brain center, by surgeons who specialize in this procedure. Brain malignancies pose unique challenges for healthcare providers, particularly those working in brain centers that do not see a high volume of patients. Because these centers do not treat nearly as many patients as academic institutions, they may lack resources and expertise in certain areas.

And while most patients see the value in seeking treatment at a major cancer center, many would prefer to get treatment close to home if possible.

Why a Second Opinion at a Brain Tumor Center Can Make All the Difference

“This is a very important, challenging issue … We are all most comfortable when we are closest to our home. That’s where our family is. That’s often where our friends are, that’s where our community support network is. It can be somewhat traumatic, the experience of trying to get to clinic in academic [centers],” Dr. Burt Nabors, a neuro-oncology expert at University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Medicine, tells SurvivorNet.

Local (Community) Centers

Most people are diagnosed with brain metastasis at community medical centers. These local facilities are often closer to home, more convenient for follow-up, and better aligned with everyday needs—like routine blood draws or post-treatment monitoring.

Advantages of receiving care at a community center include:

• Proximity: Easy to access for appointments, especially if you live far from a major city.
• Personalized Care: Local centers often excel at fostering strong patient-provider relationships, which can help you feel supported and understood.
• Initial Diagnosis and Basic Treatments: Many community hospitals can accurately diagnose and begin standard treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation) for common cancers.

However, community centers may treat fewer glioma patients each year compared to large academic centers.

Academic Cancer Centers: Specialized Expertise

Academic cancer centers typically see a higher volume of complex cases, including rare or aggressive brain tumors.

They often have:

• Multidisciplinary Teams: Neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, and supportive care specialists routinely review cases together in “tumor boards” to determine the best personalized treatment plan.
• Advanced Technologies: Tools like intraoperative MRI, awake craniotomy techniques, and sophisticated imaging methods can help remove tumors more precisely while protecting important brain functions.
• Cutting-Edge Research and Clinical Trials: Academic centers may offer clinical trials of new drugs or surgical approaches not yet widely available elsewhere.

Despite these strengths, traveling to a major center can be stressful, time-consuming, and financially challenging for some patients—especially if it involves long distances or time away from work and family. Thankfully, there are ways to combine the convenience of local care with the benefits of advanced, specialized treatment.

Often these same resources are becoming more commonly available in community settings as well.

Bridging the Gap: How Collaboration Benefits You

Leading experts emphasize that partnership between community and academic centers is the key to optimal care.

This collaboration can be done in the followin ways:

• Virtual Tumor Boards and Telehealth: Community doctors can present your case to academic experts via secure online platforms, allowing specialists to give input on diagnosis, surgery, radiation planning, or clinical trial eligibility. Dr. Nabors explains that road-blocks doctors once faced are easier to handle with today’s technology. “Typically, images were very hard to get … now, electronically you can power share an image if it’s done in the most remotest part of Alabama if they’ve got the internet,” he says. Telehealth may be going away in March of 2025 and medicare will stop reimbursing video visits and other insurers may follow suit.  This could impact your ability take advantage of Telehealth as an option.
• Shared-Care Models: Even if you travel to a larger center for specialized surgery or a second opinion, your local doctor might still manage ongoing chemotherapy, monitor side effects, or follow up with imaging. This approach keeps you closer to home for most of your treatments while still letting you benefit from expert input at a distance. “There are therapies we can deploy closer to home … we also can monitor typically quite easily now,” Dr. Nabors says.
• Community-Centered Referrals: Doctors at local centers often collaborate informally with academic institutions. You may not have to coordinate these details yourself—often, your local physician will help set up referrals and share records.

A glioma diagnosis can feel daunting, but you don’t have to navigate it alone or choose just one type of care setting. The reality is that many local community hospitals and major academic centers work hand in hand. Community centers offer convenience, familiarity, and day-to-day management, while academic institutions provide specialized expertise, advanced therapies, and cutting-edge research. By combining strengths, these partnerships create a patient-centric model that makes excellent care more accessible—no matter where you live.

Dr. Nabors points out that doctors who work at major academic institutions, like himself, often have relationships with oncologists who work in their surrounding state or region.

“You develop that relationship which helps the community oncologists feel very comfortable taking guidance from you. It helps also when we do discover these specific molecular alterations for which we might try to pursue an off-label use of a medication,” he adds.

How to Support a Loved One Facing a Health Challenge

If you have a loved one fighting a disease or cancer, SurvivorNet has some ideas to help you better support your loved one. Simple tasks like helping with household chores or running errands can do wonders for your loved one who’s diagnosed. These tasks can make all the difference in relieving stress when the effect of chemotherapy brings fatigue, for example. Other ideas to help your loved one battling cancer include cooking, bringing prepared meals, or doing an activity you enjoy together.

The support helps put your loved one battling a disease or cancer more at ease, which may be filled with anxiety after a diagnosis or amid intense treatment.

“There are a number of common things cancer patients can experience,” Dr. Shelly Tworoger, a researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

“Anxiety, depression, financial toxicity, social isolation, and PTSD,” Dr. Tworoger said, are all emotions cancer warriors may experience and can be eased by loved ones.

If you are a caregiver of your loved one facing a diagnosis, it is important to maintain your own mental and physical health as well.

“Caregiving is the most important job in the universe because you are there through the highs and lows,” Julie Bulger, manager of patient and family-centered care at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

Caregivers must also watch out for “caregiver burnout,” where stress, anger, fatigue, and illness emerge from putting another person’s needs ahead of their own.

Those who find themselves struggling to care for a cancer warrior should seek out a therapist or a support group of their own, either online or in person.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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