Teddi Mellencamp Gives Update on Brain Surgery: ‘More Tumors Were Removed than Expected’

Teddi Mellencamp is sharing an update on her brain surgery.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, 43, posted on Instagram after having four brain tumors removed last week. She included a selfie from her hospital bed with her head shaved as well as a scan of her brain showing the size of the tumors.  

“I am so grateful for the incredible surgeons, doctor, and nurses who made my surgery a success and my recovery process comfortable,” she wrote. “In full transparency, more tumors were removed than expected: 4 in total. This fight is not over, but that round has been won.”

“The laughter, support, and patience of my kids, my family, and my closest friends is one gift with which words cannot properly express my gratitude,” she continued. “As I move on to the next steps in my treatment, I just wanted to say thank you to everybody for the outpouring of love and prayers. I see them, and they’re definitely helping me stay strong.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Mellencamp first shared that she was hospitalized on Feb. 12 while preparing to undergo brain surgery.

“For the last several weeks I’ve been dealing with severe and debilitating headaches,” she wrote on Instagram. “Yesterday the pain was unbearable and required hospitalization. After a CT scan and MRI, doctors found multiple tumors on my brain, which they believe have been growing for at least 6 months.”

The reality star shared videos of her shaving her head while surrounded by loved ones prior to surgery. She said a few tumors would be removed during the surgery and the remaining tumors will be treated with radiation moving forward.

“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,” she added.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Mellencamp’s latest diagnosis comes amid her years-long battle with skin cancer. Over the years, she’s documented her journey having more than 17 different spots of melanoma removed. 

Although Mellencamp has not shared whether her brain tumors are a result of her past melanoma spots, melanoma skin cancer has a rapid growth rate and can be life-threatening.

According to articles published in the National Institute of Health, up to 60% of patients with advanced melanoma develop brain metastases during the course of their disease, and “the presence of brain metastases significantly worsens a patient’s prognosis.” This occurs when cancer cells migrate through the blood-brain barrier.