A Dirty Look or a Bad Read? (RHOC Recap)

Two Ts In A Pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge

Teddi Mellencamp and Dolores Catania host a candid episode blending personal health reflections with a detailed recap of Real Housewives of Orange County. Teddi opens up about her ongoing fears

Key takeaways

• Teddi Mellencamp reveals she is terrified of her cancer returning nine months after stopping immunotherapy and admits to feeling isolated in Los Angeles despite having a new partner.
• Dolores Catania shares that her father recently turned 80 and publicly admitted he wishes he had been a better husband during his birthday speech.

Main topics

• Cancer recurrence fears and immunotherapy
• Loneliness and new relationships in Los Angeles

Notable quotes

I am actually really scared... there is so much fear right now that I am going to go off of immunotherapy and nine months from now and the cancer is going to come back.

Conclusion

The episode offers a vulnerable look into Teddi's health journey and dat

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) This is an iHeart Podcast. Speaker 1 (0:02) Guaranteed human. Speaker 3 (0:06) Two Teas in a Pod with Teddy Mellencamp and Tamara Judge. Speaker 2 (0:21) Hi, guys. Welcome to another episode of Two Teas in a Pod with myself, Teddy Mellencamp and... Dolores Catania. Hi, everybody. Hi. How's it going? Going really Speaker 3 (0:32) good. Speaker 2 (0:33) Let me ask you, what you've been up to lately? Well, I went to my daughter's nationals. I saw. Speaker 3 (0:40) How'd she do? In Washington, Speaker 2 (0:41) D.C. She was great. She was second. She was third. She was beautiful. She was so consistent. Amazing. And it was actually like a really good trip for us because we're in that teenage phase where like she kind of keeps snapping at me. Speaker 3 (0:58) Yeah. Speaker 2 (0:59) And there was finally a moment where I was like, hey, we need to have a real conversation. I do this with you because I love you. And almost every cent that I make is spent on you. On the horse. Speaker 3 (1:13) Yeah. On Speaker 2 (1:14) the horse, on this, on, you know, supporting you. And if you don't want me here. And it's not important to you for me to be here. We don't have to do it in this capacity. Speaker 3 (1:25) That is amazing. I've had that conversation. Speaker 2 (1:29) And she was like, well, and I said, you're really hurting my feelings. Speaker 3 (1:33) I'm Speaker 2 (1:34) here with all of our best friends. We flew across the country. We flew our horses across the country. And then like, it's like we finally had a breakthrough. No, she needed to hear that. You know why? She doesn't want to hurt Speaker 3 (1:47) your feelings. She doesn't want to be mean. She can't help herself. It's a teenage. She's Speaker 1 (1:54) a Speaker 3 (1:54) teenager. And I just said it 20 minutes ago. I'd never want to be a teenager again. Speaker 2 (2:00) Yeah. You Speaker 3 (2:01) know, you're going through you go through a lot. And but doesn't mean it's OK. So that conversation, I remember I had this conversation with Gab. She was being so mean to me. She apologizes now, by the way, Teddy. She apologized to me for the way she treated me when she was a teenager. Speaker 3 (2:22) And I remember saying to her, she was giving me a hard time about the show. And she was like, you know, that show and this and that. And like, she was kind of like wished. I think maybe I did something different or. And I said to her, I remember saying you are what you are because I was behind you every step of the way. Yeah. Don't knock me and don't because I can run circles around. You're not smarter than me. You'll never be. And I remember just like kind of saying that. And I've never had to say that again. It doesn't mean she's always been nice. Speaker 2 (2:57) But I feel like sometimes there's that moment like and it started out as a joke. Like we were there with another couple of people that ride horses and one of them has a private jet, which, you know, wish I was them. But they were leaving a day before us. And so the woman's like. you know, you're welcome to come home on the jet. And I looked at Slate jokingly and I said, should I go home today? And you just go, you show without me tomorrow. And she goes, you can. And then I go, are you serious, Slate? Like, honestly, are you serious? Because like, I can't even imagine. And she goes. Well, then I wouldn't have to worry about you. Speaker 2 (3:40) And I was like, I couldn't even help it. Like tears welled up in my eyes. Like and that night was the night we had the conversation about it. And I was like, I don't know if you thought you were being funny, but it wasn't funny. Yeah. I'm glad you Speaker 3 (3:55) had it. It was time to have it. She'll never forget that conversation. She'll never forget saying that to you. Speaker 2 (4:04) Yeah. But Speaker 3 (4:05) you know what? She'll think twice. Before she says something like that to you again, and you'll save her somewhere down the road when we look back and we say, I feel bad for what I said to my mom, you know? Yeah. And it needs to be had. Speaker 2 (4:23) And I mean, it was it was really good. I was home with, you know, by home. Whenever I say home, I mean East Coast, because all my East Coast riding friends are there. There's all the people I grew up with, lived with because, you know, I didn't really even barely live. With my mom, I just traveled around with the horse trainers and their kids. Speaker 1 (4:41) And Speaker 2 (4:42) they all became like family. And so we had that time. And I had a conversation with one of my best friends. She kind of looked at me and she's like. how are you feeling? Like, how are you really doing? And I was like, I am actually really scared. And I like forgot that I felt the way that I did until like it took like somebody from my past and somebody that really Speaker 3 (5:07) knows me. And she's like, like a familiarity where you would open up to before all this. Speaker 2 (5:11) Yeah. Like this was, you know, she came out and saw me when I was in the hospital and all those things. But she goes like, how are you truly doing? And I was like, I. Speaker 2 (5:22) feel so frightened. And she's like, what do you feel frightened about? And I'm like, there is so much fear right now that I am going to go off of immunotherapy and nine months from now and the cancer is going to come back. Speaker 3 (5:38) And so Speaker 2 (5:39) I'm doing all of this fighting right now to stay alive, to feel OK, to be there for my kids, to be there for my friends, to be there for family, to show up for the pod and be the best that I can be. As you are. But I am so frightened, Dolores. It's like yesterday was a very emotional day because like, I don't know why I can't get that out of my head. Why I can't just have this like positive energy surrounding it. Because you've been through so much and Speaker 3 (6:07) that's a valid fear. It is, but so many people. Come on the other side of that. And I feel like I can't speak for you, but I feel like until you get past that part, you will Speaker 2 (6:22) be scared. Yeah. And I think it's just it's weighing it weighs on me whenever I go out of town and I see other people that I love. And also then I come home and I remember and, you know, this isn't anything against the valley guy or anything like that. But then I come home and I remember I'm alone. Mm hmm. Yeah. Like I've got my kids, but like. I got to figure this out on my like when I was at the horse show, somebody drive me around everywhere. We're all we're all with a group of people the whole time. And you're busy. Yeah. And we're busy. And it's and then all of a sudden it's like, OK, reality sets in. You're back home. You're watching seven shows for work. You're you can't drive. Speaker 1 (7:04) I can I Speaker 3 (7:06) can speak to feeling alone and being alone and try and saying. At the end of the day, I have to figure this out by myself and I have to be here for my kids. And I kind of I know that feeling. Yeah. And it's a kind of a shitty feeling. Yeah. Because at the end of the day, it's just you. Right. All day long, you have people around you. You have your kids. You have things going on. And, you know, hours turn into minutes like the day goes so fast. Yeah. I mean, the fact that Slade's turning Speaker 2 (7:35) 14 today is insane. Oh, today's her birthday. Yeah, today's her birthday. Speaker 3 (7:40) I feel like you already celebrated that. And we Speaker 2 (7:42) did that just for a free cake a week early. Speaker 2 (7:51) No, today's her actual birthday. Birthday to her. I know big. She's getting like so grown up. She's like becoming a woman. She's grown up. Yes. So so all that's good. But then it kind of like led me to have like kind of a serious conversation with Valley guy yesterday. Oh, I know. Because he was like. how's it going? And I was like, I'm actually pretty sad to come back to L.A., to be honest. Like I've I've been very homesick and missed out on cruise and Bella and our routine. But I'm very sad to come home because there's a certain level of loneliness. And he goes, why don't you tell me about this more often? Speaker 3 (8:33) Oh, that was nice. It Speaker 2 (8:35) was nice. And I said, kind of nice, kind of nice. But then I also said, because I don't even really know how you feel about me. Speaker 3 (8:42) And I say that. Speaker 2 (8:44) And I said, so I don't really even know how you feel about me. So I don't want to put that kind of pressure on you right now. I see one, two times a week. And I was like, so right now I'm getting what I can get. And that's like to have fun and step away. And I said, but I don't I really don't know where you are. And he's like, you know what? That's a valid point. Speaker 3 (9:08) Oh, I don't love that answer, but I don't Speaker 2 (9:10) love that answer. But I think that's that's an honest answer. It's an honest answer. And I have a question for you. Like I was talking with my one of my other friends at the horse show and we're talking about relationships. And she's like part of what. Speaker 2 (9:25) has she's like, I've been with, you know, her husband. I will just let we'll call him George right now. I've been with George for 25 years. Do you think every single day I just can't wait to like rip George's clothes off and hang out? She's like, no, he's my companion. He's my partner. We divide and conquer. Speaker 3 (9:46) OK. Speaker 2 (9:46) And I think there's like this parts of. all of that that's like becoming reality to me. I think I was like, I have a dopamine rush when I go to a horse show, when I do this or when I have a good show or any of those things. And then when it's back to reality, it's like, OK, here I am just one foot in front of the other trying to figure it out. Speaker 3 (10:07) I can, I'm older than you and I have not been through a lot of what you're going through, but I've been through some of what you're going through. And I can tell you that sometimes life feels like that, especially when you're single, you're a single mom. And after a divorce and after a lot of uncertainty in your life, you feel like that. And then there's times where things just feel like it's together. Speaker 2 (10:31) Yeah. So Speaker 3 (10:32) you lose a stability in your life. Listen. I can't say you and Speaker 2 (10:37) I have both always had stability in our lives, even growing up. Right. Of course not. Speaker 3 (10:41) And that doesn't always go away. Right. Yeah. But there are bouts where you do feel stable and you enjoy them at the time. Speaker 2 (10:50) Yeah. Speaker 3 (10:51) But not always, Teddy. And Speaker 2 (10:53) it's Speaker 3 (10:53) like and Speaker 2 (10:54) everybody says we shouldn't depend on somebody else. And it's not that I'm saying I depend on somebody else. Well, that's easy for Speaker 3 (10:59) someone else to say. Yeah. Speaker 2 (11:01) It's like but it's also. And I don't know if you've felt this way before, but like sometimes I'm just like, now what? Like how how do we get to the next step? Like how is how do I keep everybody happy? How do I keep myself stable? How do I not let people know how afraid I am of the future? And well, you don't Speaker 3 (11:25) have to not let people know that. You don't have to. And you just did speak about that. So I think I hope that that makes you feel a little better to get that off your chest. Yeah, it does. Because you shouldn't walk around with that because that's a that's normal to have to feel that way until you pass that threshold of that, which you will. But that's a scary thing. Sure it is. Of course, it's scary. You've been through you've been through hell and back. So, I Speaker 2 (11:52) mean, it's and then I'm, you know, I'm home. I have the kids this morning doing we're doing a special birthday thing because Edwin's with the kids tonight because I've been with Slate for like 10 days straight. So he's taking the kids for a birthday dinner. I'm seeing the Valley guy who is going to get his very first massage, by the way. Oh, Jesus. What do you mean? Speaker 3 (12:11) Like we're going to get Speaker 2 (12:12) massages. I'm not giving it. Speaker 2 (12:17) Fucking please. I know I am sore from being at the horse show, walking miles and miles every day. And I wanted a massage. And I asked him, have you ever had one? And he was like, no, not by like couples massage. Well, he doesn't even know this is happening. It's just something I, I mean, it's like, it's a happy feat. It's not an expensive. They do a Speaker 3 (12:40) good job. Speaker 2 (12:40) Yeah. By Speaker 3 (12:41) the way, I Googled happy feet the other day. I don't know why it came up. I was looking for my nails to get done. Happy feet. It's a thing. Yeah, it's a thing. So I spent the full day last Sunday in a happy feet type place. I got a lymphatic massage. I got the scalp rub. I felt like a million dollars. Yeah. And I think that if just for a second, Teddy. before you walk through that door to get that happy feet massage with Valley guy, is it in the same room? You guys are going to be in the same Speaker 2 (13:14) room. Speaker 3 (13:15) We are going to be Speaker 2 (13:15) in the same room. And, but like, I don't even know, like, this isn't something I'm sure he would ever want. And, but I wouldn't mind paying for it. It's probably $47. Like, I don't really care if he likes it or not. It's a day. It's a night I need. Speaker 3 (13:29) You need it. You're going to share with him, leave everything just at the door, just for that hour, just leave it out the door. How do I do that? I know that you have a hard time with this. I know you have a really hard time with this, but just detach yourself from all of that. Give yourself an hour and you could tell yourself you're going to start thinking about it as soon as you're done. Speaker 2 (13:56) Yeah. But Speaker 3 (13:57) for that hour, you're going to think about Valley guy. You're going to think about the hand, be in the moment, the hands on your back. the way you feel, be relaxed, give it to yourself. Speaker 2 (14:12) Oh, I love you so much. This is why I tell you this kind of stuff, because like you have such good perspective and like you would get it. Like you're like, you do need it. Like I haven't had, I don't remember the last time I've gone and done that. And I was like, I don't necessarily need to do it by myself. And I don't like. Valley guy plans all the other dates this day. I was just like, can you come to me? And then I have the plans. Like I wanted to enjoy Speaker 3 (14:36) it. Speaker 2 (14:38) And, Speaker 3 (14:38) and Speaker 2 (14:38) you know, Speaker 3 (14:40) Fake it till you make it for that few couple hours. You can go back to all the overthinking you want as soon as you're done. Yeah. Okay. Speaker 2 (14:49) Well, it's a Speaker 3 (14:52) temporary piece. It's temporary. Temporary. I know you don't like to think about like, but that's an easy, that's not hard to do. Knowing that I can go back to all these things when I'm done. Yeah. They're not going away. Speaker 2 (15:07) That's very good advice for everybody listening, because we always want to get a little ahead of ourselves. How have you been? How's your crystal light? It sucks, but I'm really trying. I'm Speaker 3 (15:19) really, really trying. How have I been? I've been okay. I haven't been the happiest lately, Teddy. You know, I'm just whatever. I don't have a Diet Coke here right now because I'm trying. I feel bloated. Speaker 3 (15:35) I love that you haven't looked up to see this. I'm trying not to look. It was my dad's 80th. And he gave a speech last night. You know, my dad wanted 25 parties. So they honored him at the PBA Bowl for his role at 9-11 and how he ran the city. You know, two of the hijackers were from Patterson. And he had a lot going on. He was amazing. My dad's first love was his job. Speaker 3 (16:04) And, you know,