Photo: teddi mellencamp/ instagram

teddi mellencamp

Teddi Mellencamp Arroyaveis encouraging her fans to keep tabs on their health.

On Tuesday, theReal Housewives of Beverly Hillsalumna, 40, updated her followers on her skin cancer scare,revealing the results of the melanoma testshe received afterremoving a molefrom her back earlier this month.

“Got my results back and it’s good news: melanoma in situ which means the cancer cells were contained in that area of my skin and have not spread any deeper!,” she wrote.

Melanoma in situ means that a tumor has not invaded beyond the outer layer of the skin. It is the earliest form of melanoma, and is “the easiest to treat and almost always curable,” according to theSkin Cancer Foundation.

Getting those results left Mellencamp Arroyave feeling “blessed and relieved,” she said.

She added that she also felt “grateful to have diligent friends and doctors to watch out for me,” writing, “I’ll now need to have 3-month checkups, while always making sure to wear sunscreen (a given, I know!) and protective clothing.”

“I really hope that in sharing all of this, I can encourage all of you to get your skin checked annually,” Mellencamp Arroyave continued. “If I hadn’t gone in, I don’t want to think about how it could have gone differently.”

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Teddi Mellencamp

Mellencamp Arroyave previously explained that she visited a doctor after herRHOBHcostarKyle Richardsencouraged her to get a mole on her back checked out.

“This is a reminder to please go get your yearly skin checks,” the mother of four shared on Instagram alongside a photo of herself with a bandage on her back.

“I had been avoiding mine bc of my own anxiety for a very long time but when @kylerichards18 saw my back and it had changed colors again, she immediately took me to the doc who within minutes said it looks like melanoma and did a big removal,” she wrote.

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Mellencamp Arroyave added that she was doing her best “to stay present and positive” after the removal, and said she was “grateful that I am busy to keep my mind from racing as I await the results.”

“I find strength in being honest with you all and hope this helps others. Please let this be a reminder to take action on your own skin,” she shared.

source: people.com