Teddi Mellencamp talks about battling stage 4 melanoma

Teddi Mellencamp, a fitness company entrepreneur and co-host of the podcast Two Ts In A Pod, disclosed her stage 4 melanoma diagnosis with her followers.

Mellencamp, who was part of the reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for three seasons, told Us Weekly at the time, “I’m fighting for my life. But also for my family’s life and all the people I love.”

In February, she took to the social media to explain that she had experienced severe headaches. Following a doctor’s appointment, they discovered multiple tumors in her brain and surgically removed two on February 12.

Mellencamp was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2022, but now the cancer progressed and spread to her lungs and brain.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave (@teddimellencamp)

“I kinda thought that I had already beaten it,” she said in April. “And then a couple days later, I found out I had four more tumors. So there’s so many different highs and lows.” 

The wellness coach also spoke of how her diagnosis has influenced her children whom she shares with former husband Edwin Arroyave.

“Whether it was good news or bad news, we all just try to be there for each other and find special moments that we can have.

“I know everyone says this, but I have really good kids,” she continued. “Laughter has been a huge part of what makes it so much better.”

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After her brain surgery, she made a powerful appearance at a cancer benefit last week where she proudly showed her scars. Mellencamp chose not to wear a wig at the event.

“The day to day decision of wig versus no wig. Crying days I tend to pick the wig,” she shared on Instagram, posting a selfie with a full blonde wig on.

“This is my first night out since I got out of the hospital,” she said. “I feel good. I know it feels really devastating right now, but everything – it gets better.”

In her most recent Instagram video, Mellencamp shared a positive update, saying her tumors have “shrunk or disappeared” following treatment.

She has been receiving both radiation and immunotherapy.

“One update I couldn’t wait to share!” Mellencamp wrote in the caption. “All tumors stage 4 (metastasized melanoma in my brain and lungs) shrunk or disappeared so I have 6ish more weeks of immunotherapy and doctors believe I will be healed if everything stays on course. Thank you to everyone who has sent their love, prayers, and positivity.”

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave (@teddimellencamp)

“I have two more sessions of immunotherapy, and then hopefully, I am done, and I will be cancer-free,” she continued. “I’m going to keep a positive outlook, because that’s the way my doctor just spoke to me. He’s like, ‘You did this. You got this … you got that Mellencamp blood. So, you’re good.'”

According to the American Cancer Society, stage 4 cancer is the most advanced phase of the disease, with a five-year survival rate of 35%.

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New pope Leo XIV has long opposed JD Vance and Trump over policies

Robert Francis Prevost, 69, Chicago-born, becomes 267th pope as Leo XIV.

He is believed to share late Pope Francis’ views on environment, the migrants, and the poor.

This means his views on certain topics oppose those of President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance, especially migrants.

Pope Leo XIV himself comes from a family of immigrants.

“I was born in the United States… But my grandparents were all immigrants, French, Spanish… I was raised in a very Catholic family, both of my parents were very engaged in the parish,” he said.

Although he was born in the US, the Vatican described him as the second pope from the Americas (Francis was from Argentina).

President Trump called Leo’s election “such an honor for our country” and wished the pope well in his new role.

Days before Leo’s election — during the period of mourning following Frances’ passing — Trump shared an AI generated photo of himself dressed in a pope’s robe, an act that sparked significant backlash from religious and political figures.

The photo was later shared by The White House official social media account.

Trump captioned the post on Truth Social, “I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice.”

He added he didn’t actually have preference. “I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens,” referring to Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York.

Posting on his X profile as Cardinal Robert Prevost, Pope Leo criticized Vance for an interview he gave about Christianity on Fox News.

“JD Vance is wrong,” he said. “Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

Discussing concerns over the Trump administration’s handling of immigration, Vance referenced a Christian tenet “that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world.”

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After receiving criticism on his views, Vance took to the social media to defend himself, writing, “Just google ‘ordo amoris.’ Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense.”

Ten days later, Pope Leo, as Cardinal Robert Prevost, shared another piece from a Jesuit publication, titled, “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration.”

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Vance congratulated Pope Leo on his election. “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

The latest post on X by Pope Leo was a reposted social media article that was critical of the Trump administration’s deportation of a US resident, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, to El Salvador. Garcia was sent to the world’s worst prison due to an administration mistake, but he’s unable to return home.

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Parents file lawsuit against teacher over 11-year-old son’s suicide

Louis Johnson III, “LJ,” was 11 years old when he took his own life on April 27, 2023.

Two years after his tragic passing, his grieving parents, Tyka Johnson and Louis Johnson Jr., filed a lawsuit against the school district he was in, the Marion County School Board in Ocala, Fla., on Monday, April 21, over LJ’s suicide.

They claimed their son’s fifth-grade teacher, named as Donna White in the lawsuit but listed as Dawn in school’s documents, b***ied him constantly and invited other students to call him names, which led to LJ’s anxiety, depression, and eventually committing suicide.

According to the Johnsons — as stated in the filing obtained by PeopleWhite “constantly, consistently and relentlessly publicly humiliated minor child [LJ] in front of his peers, calling him ‘stupid’ and ridiculing him in front of his classmates on several occasions over the span of months.”

The parents took their concerns of b****ying to the school board, but they didn’t act in any way to prevent the teacher’s behavior.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, LJ died in the hospital, two days after his attempt to take his own life.

Following the tragic incident, authorities interviewed more than two dozen students about White’s behavior, WCJB reported.

The report from the questioning of the students revealed that the teacher, whose contract was terminated following the investigation, would get furious and reduce students to tears when they failed to answer her questions right.

White’s “verbally insulting, humiliating, and embarrassing students” inflicted psychological distress on her victims, the report concluded.

LJ’s family started a GoFundMe page to help the family with the expenses. In it, they once again accused White of leading LJ to death.

“LJ was the youngest of four and so full of potential and promise. He loved the beach, catching crabs, making TikTok recipes and was a huge advocate for the homeless. If he saw a homeless person, he immediately said ‘dad, we gotta pray for that person’. Since moving to Florida, LJ battled with b****ing. He gave up his fight and took his own life on 4/27/2023.”

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‘Little Albert’: child subject of historic study died at just six

Nobel Prize winner Ivan Pavlov, a Russian neurologist, demonstrated conditioned learning—also known as a conditioned reflex—by conducting an experiment involving dogs and a bell. Before feeding them, he would ring the bell, and over time, the dogs began to associate the sound with food, eventually salivating at the sound alone.

This discovery was groundbreaking and influenced the theory of behaviorism that suggests “all behaviors are acquired through conditioning processes.”

This means that “It all comes down to the patterns of learning we’ve acquired through associations, rewards, and punishments. This approach argues that it’s our environment that shapes our actions more than our thoughts and feelings.”

Influenced by Pavlov’s work, psychologist John B. Watson and his graduate student Rosalie Rayner decided to apply the same logic. This time, however, using a baby known as “Little Albert.”

Their experiment is referred to as “medical misogyny.”

They chose a nine-month old baby, whose mother was a vet nurse at the hospital where the experiment was conducted. She wasn’t fully aware of what her child experienced behind closed doors.

“He was healthy from birth and one of the best developed youngsters ever brought to the hospital, weighing twenty-one pounds at nine months of age,” Watson and his study partner, Rosalie Rayner, wrote of Little Albert. “He was on the whole stolid and unemotional. His stability was one of the principal reasons for using him as a subject in this test. We felt that we could do him relatively little harm by carrying out such experiments.”

The baby was exposed to soft animals, including a white rat, a rabbit, a dog, a monkey, some masks, cotton, wool, and burning newspapers among the rest.

At first, he played with the animals and didn’t show any fear, but over time, whenever he reached for the white rat, Watson would bang a metal pipe with a hammer right behind the baby, startling him and making him cry.

This was repeated enough times until the baby cried and screamed just by looking at the rat.

Eventually, Albert began to associate anything white and fluffy with sheer terror. This included Santa Clause, because of his white beard.

Watson was happy his “Little Albert experiment” worked, but neither he nor his assistant did anything to reverse the damage – or to “decondition” him – as they promised to his mother.

Instead, they let Albert toughen up all by himself.

Sadly, Little Albert died aged six from hydrocephalus – a condition where fluid builds up in the brain.

It turned out that he wasn’t as healthy at the start of the experiment as Watson wrote in the study he published.

“He has a very large head, and he’s quite pudgy and short, but the head is still big for a pudgy, short infant,” Fridlund told How Stuff Works of the obvious health issues the baby was having.

“The second thing was how abnormal he was in his behavior. During that entire film – on which Albert appears for roughly four minutes – you see not one social smile from Albert. Not one.”

Further, he added: “Not once in the film, despite being brought an Airdale that’s scampering all over, being shown burning paper, being shown a monkey cavorting on a leash – and he has a steel bar struck with a hammer 14 times behind his back – not once does Albert turn to either Watson or Rayner to seek support. If infants perceive that the stimulus is threatening, they typically run toward a caretaker.”

Over the years, scholars have debated over the true identity of Little Albert.

Researcher Hall Beck from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, believes he was Douglas Merritte, the six-year-old who died.

Russ Powell and his colleagues at MacEwan University in Alberta, Canada, believed baby Albert was in fact William Albert Barger, who was born at the same hospital. Barger lived until 2007 but didn’t recall being part of any experiment. Throughout his life, he was only afraid of dogs.

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Major update in Madeleine McCann case after police find hard drive with ‘sick pictures’

Madeleine McCann went missing 17 years ago from an apartment in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, while her parents were out having dinner. Her case is still considered to be “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history.”

Last year, Madeleine’s devastated parents, who are still looking for answer, shared a heartbreaking message.

“It’s 17 years since Madeleine was taken from us,” it read. “It’s hard to even say that number without shaking our heads in disbelief. Whilst we are fortunate in many ways and able to live a relatively normal and enjoyable life now, the ‘living in limbo’ is still very unsettling. And the absence still aches.”

“Your support continues to encourage us and bolsters our strength to keep going. We know the love and hope for Madeleine and the will to find her, even after so many years, remains, and we are truly thankful for that.

“Thank you again for remembering Madeleine and all missing children. Kate and Gerry.”

The prime suspect in the case, German pedophile Christian Brückner, 48, is currently serving a seven-year sentence for raping a 72-year-old American in Praia da Luz in 2005. At the same time, he’s awaiting a trial for a separate case in which he’s charged for raping an Irish tour rep in 2004.

Christian Brückner/ X

A former cellmate of Brückner, Laurentiu Codin, 50, claimed he once bragged about stealing a child in Portugal.

”He told me that in Portugal, that he had stolen there… he was in a region of hotels where people are there, not sure how you say, rich people, where rich people live,” Codin recalled.

“And when he was in the area of the hotels where the rich people live, there was somewhere an open window, he told me this, and this was the reason he asked me whether fingerprints could be left when he went out of the window.

”He said he went into the flat because of money and said that he didn’t find any money, but found a kid, and took the child, and that two hours later, the place he was, it was then surrounded by police and dogs.”

Christian Brueckner is suspected of killing Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007
Christian Brückner/ Dan Charity

”And he then went away, out of the area, I am just saying what he told me… And he took the child in Portugal in his car, and in the time when the police and dogs were there at the house, he drove away, and he was gone, he asked me if the DNA from a child can be found as evidence and I answered yes.”

The defendant’s lawyer, Philipp Marquart, dismissed the testimony, stating: ”All of these claims are completely new. All of them. He has never said anything like this before, and they all contradict each other.”

Braunschweig Chief Public Prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters confirmed to The Independent that Brückner is seeking early release from his jail term.

A person close to the case told a German outlet: “Normally a move like his bid for an early release would be laughed out of court.

“But everyone is very nervous after what happened with his r*** trial last year.

“The court was surprisingly favorable to him.”

The source added that Madeleine’s prosecutors are ‘nervous’ and it could ‘mean disaster for the Madeleine McCann case.’

“Charging over Madeleine would be the only ace left up their sleeve for keeping Christian B. behind bars,” they continued.

“Let’s hope they don’t need it.”

In case the court approves Christian Brückner’s early release, Madeleine’s legal team is likely to appeal immediately. This could push back his release by months. If the appeal is unsuccessful, prosecutors may have to formally charge him in connection with her disappearance to keep him in custody.

As this critical legal fight continues, the McCanns and their supporters remain hopeful that justice will finally be served.

A major update follows investigators’ disturbing discovery at Brueckner’s hideaway in central Germany.

According to The Sun, which is producing a documentary on the case, among the items found there were masks, unlicensed firearms, ammunition, bikes, children’s toys, chilling photographs of young girls, and a staggering 75 children’s swimsuits, despite Brueckner not having a child.

There were also writings in which he expressed his obsession with abducting children. They included a case of him drugging a mother and her daughter outside a preschool and s**ually abusing a 4-year-old blond girl.

Conversations between Brueckner and other pedophiles were also discovered. I one of them, he revealed he wanted to: “capture something small and use it for days.”

Among the photos investigators found, there was one showing Brueckner at Arade Dam, just 35 miles from where Maddie vanished.

Allegedly, he attended a festival in Spain and revealed to someone that Madeleine “didn’t scream.”

 Brueckner’s hideaway in Neuwegersleben, central Germany/ Dan Charity

The Mirror reported that evidence contained in a hard drive that is in the possession of the police for some time now could finally be revealed. Sadly, it may include images that suggest Madeleine is not alive.

“We have strong evidence that Madeleine McCann is dead and that our suspect killed her. We don’t have the body and no parts of the body, but we have enough evidence to say our suspect killed Madeleine McCann,” German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said in 2020.

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Inside Barron Trump’s ‘very close’ relationship with his grandpa

Barron Trump’s life has always been more private than the public would like.

Being the son of a business mogul, his life has always been filled with luxury.

Still, those close to him describe Barron as a grounded young man and “an old soul who is smart, well-spoken and well-read.”

A source told People Magazine that the youngest son of President Donald Trump “has lived through experiences others his age haven’t.”

His upbringing was greatly influenced by his grandparents from his mother’s side.

What’s most, the same source claimed the young Trump “has more characteristics of a European than an American.”

“He isn’t as aggressive as many of his age when they are in their own social circles. He is someone who listens before talking, and is super polite,” the source explained.

Getty Images North America/Chip Somodevilla

During an occasion, while speaking of Barron’s height at a campaign rally, Trump mentioned his late mother-in-law and thanked her for everything she had done for his son and his family.

“I want to thank her incredible, beautiful mother who passed away a few days ago,” he said. “And she’s up there, way up there. She’s looking down and she’s so proud of us,” he told the crowd.

“And I just want to say to Amalija, you are special, one of the most special people I’ve ever known,” he added.

Trump further added, “Great people, great parents to all of us, really. Great parents, but also to Barron. Boy, did she take care of Barron. That’s how he got so tall, he only ate her food.”

PALM BEACH, FL – JANUARY 18: Viktor Knavs, Melania Trump, Barron Trump and Donald Trump are seen at the funeral of Melania’s mother Amalija Knavs on January 18, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

Speaking of her mother, Melania told Fox News, “Her life was incredible in Slovenia.

“Once Barron was born, he was her focus. It’s almost like she was a second mother, especially because of my schedule in the White House and being so busy. They had an incredible bond. Her and Barron, it was a relationship like no other.” 

Amelija and Viktor Knavs adored their grandson Barron.

“Both her parents spend a huge amount of time in the White House, living there,” a source told CBS. “There’s a unit within the family unit, and it’s Melania, her mother, her father, and Barron. And they all speak Slovenian. And it’s kind of interesting: the Secret Service has no idea what they’re saying.”

PALM BEACH, FL – JANUARY 18: Viktor Knavs, Melania Trump, Barron Trump and Donald Trump are seen at the funeral of Melania’s mother Amalija Knavs on January 18, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

Barron and his grandfather Viktor Knavs share a special bond, a source close to the family has revealed. “Viktor is extremely close to his grandson, Barron, and you often see them walking around Mar-a-Lago together – or at least you did before Barron went off to New York University,” they told Daily Mail.

“He keeps himself very much to himself. Melania spends most of her time in her private quarters, and that’s where Viktor and Ines tend to be,” the source further added. “They are private people, very proud of Melania and devoted to her.”

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4 types of people who should avoid eating cabbage

Despite being relatively cheap and easy to cook, cabbage is also packed with vitamin C, fiber, and vitamin K, making it a stapple in many cuisines around the world.

This highly nutritious vegetable, which is often overlooked, comes in a variety of shapes and colors, including red, purple, white, and green.

Among the rest, the cabbage “is rich in vitamin B6 and folate, both of which are essential for many important processes in the body, including energy metabolism and the normal functioning of the nervous system.”

Further, it is high in fiber and contains powerful antioxidants, especially vitamin C that may protect against heart disease, certain cancers, and vision loss.

On top of that, cabbage helps reduce chronic inflammation, improves digestion, and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Despite the plethora of benefits it offers for the human health, there are certain people who should avoid including cabbage in their diet.

1. People With Thyroid Conditions

Cabbage, like other cruciferous vegetables, contains goitrogens that may interfere with thyroid function, especially if consumed in large quantities. Goitrogens can make it harder for your thyroid to get the iodine it needs, which can disturb hormone production and affect your health.

So, if you experience thyroid issues, especially goiter (an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland) approach cabbage with care.

2. People With Digestive Sensitivities

Cabbage can cause bloating and gasses due to the raffinose it contains, a complex carbohydrate that the human body cannot fully digest. When it reaches the intestines, it ferments and produces gas.

3. People Prone to Allergies or Eye Irritation

Due to the histamines it contains, consuming cabbage can trigger an allergic reaction at people prone to allergies that can manifest in a form of a rash, itching, watery eyes, sneezing, or even eye bleeding.

4. People With Kidney Problems

People who experience kidney issues should avoid eating cabbage because of the oxalic acid it contains. This acid can bind with minerals like calcium and form kidney stones.

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When a lizard visits your house that’s a sign

It is not unusual to see lizards roaming around the garden or on the walls because these tiny reptiles love busking in the sun, darting between plants, and catching insects.

But what if they enter your home?

According to certain beliefs, an unexpected visit from a lizard in your home has a deep meaning.

In some cultures, people view these visits as signs of prosperity and good fortune, considering lizards to be symbols of luck

The spiritual interpretation of a lizard suddenly appearing in your home is viewed as a message for you to pause and reflect the changes that are taking place in your life. Just like the lizards, which are able to adapt to new environments, you should be flexible and able to let go of everything that prevents you from pursuing your happiness.

If you are considering a change, grab that opportunity and be confident that things are going to get better.

When lizards feel threatened, they detach their tails in order to escape their predators. So when a lizard suddenly appears in your home, it is a sign to free yourself from the things, the emotions, or the people that hold you back.

Despite the spiritual meaning, having an unexpected visit from a lizard can be beneficial for your home because these reptiles feed on various insects and will help you get rid of any.

If the lizard doesn’t bother you, just let it stay inside for a while. And if you want to get rid of it, don’t use any chemicals but try to catch it and release it into the garden.

Certain cultures associate harming or killing a lizard with bad luck so it would be for the best to let it get out of your home safely.

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