Teddi Mellencamp On Her Cancer Fight, Humor, Kid's Reaction, & More

US Weekly

Transcript

00:00I mean, I think the biggest thing for me has been kind of just listening to my body, but

00:05also staying active and doing things that I love, because when I do too much of just

00:13like laying, then I get pretty sad.

00:17So once I get an approval from my doctor, I'm like, I'm going for it until my body tells

00:22me slow down.

00:23I'm not a huge complainer to people in my life, I just kind of push through.

00:29The person that probably hurt it the most was my daughter, Slate, because we ride together.

00:34And I'd be like, gosh, I have a headache.

00:36And then probably about three weeks before we ended up finding out what was going on,

00:43I had self-diagnosed myself that I was having migraines.

00:47So I went to one of my best friends at the horse show, and I'm like, Akul, please help

00:51me.

00:52I know you have migraine medication.

00:54And I took it, and it actually didn't help.

00:56And I was like shaking and feeling crazy.

01:00And so then kind of the next step was then I went to work for a brand at the Super Bowl.

01:09And afterwards, Tamra's like, you want to go out?

01:11I'm like, I don't think I can.

01:13Like I really don't feel good.

01:15Like I have really bad headaches.

01:17So I made it through that weekend, got home, did the podcast on Monday.

01:23And then Tuesday, I probably have never called in sick to the pod, to two teas in a pod.

01:28And on Tuesday, I called, and I'm like, guys, I don't think I can do the pod today.

01:33Like something is really wrong.

01:36And at that point, it was pretty dark in my head.

01:41Like I could not see.

01:43So I'm like laying like on my couch.

01:46My kids are already at school, and I'm like, I can't see.

01:49I don't know what to do.

01:50And I called Edwin.

01:52And I'm like, at this point, we weren't living together.

01:55We were nesting.

01:57So I'm like, I'm so sorry.

01:58Can you come pick me up?

01:59I need to go to the hospital.

02:00And he's like, why?

02:01I haven't heard one thing about you need.

02:05I'm like, I can't see and something is going on.

02:09And then he came and took me to the emergency room in Tarzana.

02:14Yeah, so that was that portion.

02:18And then, you know, you wait a little while in the emergency room.

02:22And I have to say thank you so much to Edwin because at this point, I was so edgy because

02:27the pain had become something I had never felt before.

02:32And in the emergency room is where they diagnosed me with multiple brain tumors.

02:42And the emergency room guy is like, hey, you know, like, I'm the ER doc.

02:46I can't take these out.

02:47We got to get you into Cedars.

02:49And I'm like, well, can't you get me in tonight?

02:52Like I want to go tonight.

02:54Like I'm one of those people, like once I know something and I didn't really comprehend

02:58like what brain tumors were.

03:00Or when people ask, I mean, to kind of set us back, I have six.

03:05I had six brain tumors and two lung tumors.

03:09They all come from melanoma that metastasize into these tumors inside of my body.

03:23So a lot of people have been confused when they hear tumor, but they're still melanoma.

03:27And I have over 16 melanomas on my back.

03:30So it just all kind of happened throughout my body.

03:33So then cut to, we call Kyle and we're like, how we get into Cedars?

03:42And she called around and found a way for us to get in.

03:44She's like, but you need to get there by nine o'clock.

03:47And I'm like, it's 822 and we're in Tarzana.

03:51So I had to just check myself right out of the Tarzana hospital.

03:54And I tell the doctor, I'm like, I'm so appreciative to you, but my friend got me and he's like,

03:58but I couldn't get you in yet.

03:59Are you sure you can get in?

04:00I'm like, yes, I just have to be there by nine.

04:03It was within 24 hours that like an incredible surgeon was able to remove four tumors from

04:11my brain.

04:12Oh, so not only did I really realize that my brain tumors were a big deal or that I

04:17was having brain surgery, I didn't really realize it was happening the next day because

04:23it happened quick.

04:24And I also didn't know that they had been there for six months to a year.

04:29And we had no idea.

04:31Like my little headaches just kept getting worse and worse and worse.

04:34But I thought, oh, they're just headaches.

04:36I work a lot or I didn't drink enough water or whatever it may be.

04:39It was once my body started like almost falling down is when I knew like, that's not me.

04:45Like I may be clumsy, but I don't fall down.

04:47But I find out for sure June 1st exactly where we kind of stand and if you need to do another

04:57round, if there's any other kind of surgery, if it's the end.

05:02When I was in the ICU, it was incredibly difficult because I had no memory and I didn't know

05:08what was happening to me.

05:10And I remember, I couldn't remember the dates any day.

05:15And then, but one day I did realize, because one of my friends had helped me, she'd written

05:20down the date and she's like, when Claire comes in, here it is.

05:23And I was like, great.

05:24But then I realized as I was looking at it, it was my daughter's birthday.

05:29And I like couldn't be there for it.

05:31And it was really sad.

05:32And still right now, it's sad when I can't be there for my kids the way I would always

05:38normally be.

05:39Everybody thinks that there's a moment in treatment, but when you have brain surgery,

05:46you're not really there.

05:48Like my dad came, all my siblings came.

05:51I had friends from all over the country come visit.

05:55Like Edwin was on a mission to make sure every single person he knows that I like love and

06:00care about came to visit me.

06:02I don't remember one person.

06:04I'm like, I got this message finally sent to me on like somebody forwarded me a Facebook

06:14and they're like, and I was like, hold on, she was there?

06:18You know, like there's just certain things that your brain doesn't comprehend.

06:23And like, I remember things that annoy me.

06:26Like once they put the drain in my brain, I was really not happy about that.

06:32But like, you're not speaking clearly.

06:34And so then they put in these little, like they're like white little, I like to call

06:39them handcuffs.

06:41They like to call them reminders.

06:44I'm like, they're not reminders.

06:46These little white things that I'm attached to myself like this are not reminders.

06:50Please, I promise I won't touch my head.

06:53I'll have somebody watch me.

06:54I won't touch my head.

06:55And they're like, you need your little white reminders.

06:58And I'm like, if I ever see those white reminders again, I mean, even though I was kind of annoyed

07:05because I was always tired that so many people were there, I'm so happy now because the memories

07:10that they've shared, because they're like, sometimes you seemed like you were totally

07:14with it.

07:15And you were like in on the joke.

07:16And sometimes you were just a hot mess express and like could not be reasoned with.

07:21And you would like one day you were deep down into Heath Ledger was stalking you at night.

07:26I was like, Heath is coming over every night.

07:32And they're like, what's he saying?

07:34And I was like, he's coming.

07:35I don't know.

07:36He'll be here tonight.

07:37Stay late.

07:38They're like, somebody is with you 24 seven.

07:40You realize that?

07:41Oh, I'm so over it already.

07:45But they're because they had to put these, you know, the little drains and I had these

07:51holes in my hair.

07:53And so that's why we ended up shaving it.

07:55But it then became news to me is post radiation, you lose chunks of your hair anyway.

08:00So I'm gonna have to do a second shave.

08:03But Cruz made it a little better because he's like, Mom, we can get all the same haircuts.

08:09And I'm like, that's so great for you.

08:10It's terrible news for me.

08:12Great news for you, buddy.

08:13I don't think when Vanessa shaved my head, I cared that much.

08:19But something that hit me really hard was the first time when I went to go work out

08:22and like I'm sitting there bald and my entire like body and everything looks completely

08:28different because the steroids really affect you.

08:31And I tried to run and I couldn't.

08:34And that's when everything was like, oh my gosh, Teddy, you are no longer where you where

08:40you couldn't, you can't just jump right back into this.

08:43You have to slowly work your way up.

08:45And that was pretty devastating.

08:47I was, you know, at Barry's boot camp, like crying, and the poor guy's like looking at

08:51me like, you good?

08:52I'm like, no.

08:53And Edwin's like, you're doing he's trying to be like motivational, like now's not the

08:59time to be nice.

09:01I'm running at a 4.2.

09:03Well, first off, this is a little PSA to all of you guys.

09:08Get life insurance.

09:10Get life insurance early, go ahead and zip right on over and get it now.

09:14And also do like your will.

09:17And like doing all of these one, I didn't get approved for life insurance.

09:21But doing your will and doing all of those things, once you've already been diagnosed

09:26with stage four cancer, isn't a dream.

09:30I'm like, okay, now I have to go through this detail.

09:35Like that's really hard.

09:38So do it before you get sick.

09:41Hopefully you never get sick.

09:42But do it before you get sick, because I can assure you it's going to be easier than after.

09:46I think everybody wants me just to be super positive all the time.

09:51But one of my coping mechanisms is being sarcastic.

09:56So I'm like, well, that's going to be D-Day.

09:58Not in front of my kids, I don't say it, but I'm like, but that's D-Day.

10:01What do you mean?

10:02We can't talk, you know, like, and they're like, Teddy, no, we need constant positivity.

10:06Like sometimes I feel like constant positivity can be toxic, for me at least, because I would

10:14rather joke about it and then have the best possible outcome than be completely in denial

10:21about it and then have my heart broken.

10:23All three of my kids and my stepdaughter, they're all very different personality types.

10:30Like Slate wants to know every crumb of every detail.

10:33She's my identical human.

10:36We look the same, we talk the same, we have all the same issues.

10:40So she wants every detail.

10:42Cruz is like a worry wart.

10:44So like the other night, he's in the room with me, we're watching one of our favorite

10:48shows, Masked Singer, and, you know, at first he's all, you know, like, is that you?

10:53And I'm like, I'm telling you, none of these are going to be me, none of these are me.

10:59But he's like, can I have a sip of your water?

11:02And I'm like, yeah, sure, bud.

11:03And then I handed it to him.

11:05And then he goes, oh, no.

11:06I'm like, what?

11:07And he's like, you already took a sip.

11:09I'm like, so what?

11:10I'm not sick.

11:11And he goes, you're contagious.

11:14And I'm like, I'm not contagious.

11:16There's nothing about me contagious.

11:17You can have the water.

11:18And he's like, I'm not trusting it.

11:20I'm not trusting it.

11:23And then my little one, she just does everything.

11:25Like if I'm putting ice on my head, she's putting ice on her head.

11:28I don't know that she necessarily understands, but Slate and Cruz do.

11:34Cruz is always the one saying the things that I'm like, did he really just say that?

11:38He's like, did you get the letter when you were in the hospital?

11:40And I was like, what letter?

11:42And he's like, mom, my entire class, we wrote you a letter.

11:47I go, well, how did everybody know?

11:48And he goes, mom, you're all over the internet.

11:54Damn internet.

11:56They can see everything.

11:59They all know.

12:00I'm like, oh, I don't know.

12:01They took my phone away.

12:04Oh my god.

12:06What about your youngest?

12:07She really, I mean, as long as she's having fun with somebody,

12:12she doesn't really care.

12:13Like she's just like, yeah, whatever.

12:15We're good to go.

12:17Like last night, I was really tired.

12:18And I'm like, OK, dad's going to put you to bed.

12:20And she's like, all right, peace out, mom.

12:22Love you.

12:23Kisses or no?

12:25I would say I'm fighting for my life, but also for my family's life and all

12:28the people I love's life.

12:30I can't imagine going.

12:33I can't imagine.

12:35Does this sound like a narcissist?

12:37I can't imagine any of them living without me.

12:42Oh my gosh.

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