Teddi Mellencamp cried when she first saw her cancer scars, but now feels peace

Teddi Mellencamp is embracing the latest chapter of her ongoing cancer journey.

On Monday, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum got vulnerable on social media, sharing photos of her brain surgery scars over two months after the initial procedure.

“It’s been 76 days since I went to the ER with unbearable headaches and quickly found out I had multiple stage 4 tumors ‘the size of plums’ in my brain and lungs,” the reality star wrote on Instagram. “Melanoma had metastasized there and been there for ‘6 months to a year’ and we had no clue. Since that day, I have had multiple surgeries, had rage from the steroids, felt very sick, laughed a ton, ridden horses, loved on my kids and felt great.”

She continued, “When I first looked at this picture, at the scars on my head and my arm, I cried. Then, I felt a warmness rush through my body and felt so much peace. Peace from the incredible support system I have in my family and friends. Peace from the outpouring of love from y’all on here. Peace in knowing my story could help somebody save their life.”

Mellencamp concluded by offering love to “anyone struggling” and encouraged followers to get checked out if “something isn’t feeling right.”

Later that same day, Mellencamp attended An Unforgettable Evening Benefiting the Women’s Cancer Research Fund in Beverly Hills. In the hours before the event, she shared several photos and videos of herself getting ready with the help of her glam team.

“Pre-glam,” she wrote over one photo, in which her surgery scars were visible. In a front-facing photo, she added, “Seeing my scars on my back and head make me cry but also remind me of all the things we can overcome.”

While walking the event’s red carpet, Mellencamp told PEOPLE that she’s been in high spirits.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” the RHOBH star said. “You know, when people come up to me and they’re like, ‘You’re so strong, you did this.’ I’m like, half the time I’m strong, and half the time I’m crying and sad. [But, at the moment] I feel good.”

The mother of three — who shares Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5, with her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave — added, “What I’ve learned is that I have amazing kids. I have amazing friends and a support system that’s there for me, and I think that’s huge.”

Mellencamp first shared that she’d had a potentially concerning spot removed from her back during an annual skin check in March 2022. That October, she posted an update: “I got the call this morning: Stage 2 melanoma.”

The reality star spent the next three years undergoing procedures to treat the melanoma, before revealing this February that she had been diagnosed with multiple brain tumors. Though two were surgically removed the same day and she underwent radiation treatment for the rest, Mellencamp shared in April that she had been given a 50/50 chance of survival.

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Mellencamp has since been candid with fans about her cancer journey, offering updates on her diagnosis and mental health. She has additionally encouraged others to advocate for themselves and be proactive about their own healthcare.