Episode #172. Why Accepting Our Expiration Date Makes Doctors Better Healers , with Dr. Orvil Martinez & Dr. Felix Rivera

Summary

Risk Never Sleeps Podcast

Episode #172: Why Accepting Our Expiration Date Makes Doctors Better Healers
Host: Ed Gaudet
Guests: Dr. Orvil Martinez (CEO, Advanced Medical Research Center) & Dr. Felix Rivera (Owner, US Neurology Consulting)
Date: December 19, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this warm and lively episode, host Ed Gaudet sits down with two long-time friends and healthcare leaders, Dr. Orvil Martinez and Dr. Felix Rivera, to explore how accepting mortality shapes both medical practice and personal fulfillment. With stories, laughter, and philosophical digressions, the doctors reflect on risk, trust, and living fully—touching on everything from wild personal adventures to technological innovation in healthcare, their roots in Puerto Rico, and the promise of AI to transform medicine. The conversation repeatedly circles back to the powerful impact of recognizing our own "expiration date" on being more present, empathetic, and pragmatic as healers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins, Camaraderie & Taking Risks (00:55 – 08:47)

• Introductions and playful banter: The episode kicks off with a lighthearted exchange about leather jackets, eyewear, and podcasting, showcasing the guests' close friendship.
• On risk-taking: Both doctors share memorable stories illustrating their approach to risk: Dr. Martinez mentions investing in cryptocurrency, while Dr. Rivera recounts bungee-jumping from a crane in a shopping mall and skydiving from a plane wing.
  • “I like the fear of death. The adventure and the challenge. I don’t do it now because I’m married.” – Dr. Felix Rivera (06:25)
• Balancing risk and caution: The friends reflect that their personalities complement each other—Dr. Rivera gravitates toward adrenaline, while Dr. Martinez is naturally more measured.

2. Cultural Roots & Medical Background (08:47 – 10:07)

• Both doctors share their Puerto Rican origins and pride in their homeland, also connecting over family and career overlap.
  • “His father is my patient. His grandma was my patient. … Feels like you guys are brothers.” – Ed Gaudet (09:54)
• Their specialties: Dr. Martinez in general practice, Dr. Rivera in neurology.

3. Healthcare, AI, and the Future of Medicine (10:31 – 12:21)

• Dr. Rivera highlights technology’s potential to revolutionize medical workflows, especially for under-resourced clinics and tele-neurology.
  • “There’s so much need in helping primary care physicians have a more efficient office... technology will definitely help.” – Dr. Felix Rivera (11:23)
• Announcement of the first Artificial Intelligence Congress in Puerto Rico, to be held in 2026—the guests are organizing this major event to boost innovation on the island.

4. Humor, Adversity, and Healing in Puerto Rico (12:21 – 21:57)

• Ed’s story of a dangerous ear infection in Puerto Rico emphasizes local hospital resourcefulness and the unpredictability of emergencies. The conversation detours into ER culture and how cold temperatures in hospitals help prevent infections.
  • “Why do they keep it so cold? ... It’s because the particles...the particulation of the particles, you know, like sneezing or coughing. … They go down.” – Dr. Orvil Martinez (14:25)
• Embrace of natural remedies—funny and poignant anecdotes about family cures, like lime juice for conjunctivitis and herbal teas for kidney stones.
  • “My mom...she grabs a knife, opens up a lemon. Well, a lime. … The most horrendous pain I’ve had. … I never got conjunctivitis ever again.” – Dr. Felix Rivera (19:09, 19:32)
  • Dr. Martinez: “I tried every medication at home [for kidney stones]...my dad told me, go in the garden and look for this leaf…didn’t work, ended up in the ER.” (20:05, 20:14)

5. Reflections on Mortality, Trust, and Enjoying Life (21:28 – 24:08)

• Both doctors answer, “What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?”
  • Dr. Rivera: “Trust. Everything will be okay...Just relax. Pray. It’ll be okay.” (20:33–21:12)
  • Dr. Martinez: “What I regret is not to be risky. … Get risky. Don’t worry....and do it.” (21:18–21:39)
• Discussion on the value of living with a sense of finality:
  • “If I were to live forever, I would not enjoy the present because I know I’m not going to die.” – Dr. Felix Rivera (22:47)
  • “I recognize that we have an expiration date. … That makes me feel alive.” – Dr. Orvil Martinez (23:21)
• Ed sums it up: “The summers are counting down.” (23:45)
• The notion that acknowledging mortality encourages gratitude and stronger, more empathetic healing.

6. Parenting, Technology, and Playfulness (24:15 – 25:28)

• Both doctors share about their children, the challenges of raising them in a digital age, and the importance of staying active and connected with family.
  • “They’re growing so fast. No phones. Don’t give them phones ever.” – Ed Gaudet (24:39)
  • Jokes about coloring books and the “Trojan horse” nature of screen time.

7. Looking Forward: AI, Congress in Puerto Rico & Friendship (25:31 – End)

• Plans for a follow-up episode at the AI Congress in Puerto Rico—humorous musings about location, hospitality, and bringing even more attention to the island’s innovations.
  • “We got to do this there, guys. … Puerto Rico. Yeah. At the St. Regis Hotel.” (25:44–25:49)
• Heartfelt goodbyes and mutual gratitude, with the episode ending on a note of optimism and camaraderie.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On risk-taking in medicine and life:
  • “Get risky. Don’t worry. … The ying and the yang.” – Dr. Orvil Martinez & Dr. Felix Rivera (21:32–21:58)
• On why doctors shouldn’t aspire to immortality:
  • “If I were to live forever, I would not enjoy the present because I know I’m not going to die.” – Felix Rivera (22:47)
  • “That makes me feel alive. I recognize that we have an expiration date.” – Orvil Martinez (23:21)
• On trusting the future and faith:
  • “Trust. Everything will be okay...Just relax. Pray. It’ll be okay.” – Felix Rivera (20:33–21:12)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro/Banter & Risk Stories: 00:55 – 08:47
• Puerto Rico & Medical Backgrounds: 08:47 – 10:07
• AI in Medicine, First PR Congress: 10:31 – 12:21
• Ed’s Medical Horror Story in PR: 12:21 – 18:36
• Natural Remedies/Humor: 18:38 – 20:13
• Advice to Younger Selves: 20:28 – 21:39
• Mortality and Meaning: 22:38 – 24:08
• Parenting & Tech: 24:15 – 25:28
• Plans for AI Congress & Closure: 25:31 – End

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Summary Takeaways

• Accepting mortality fosters gratitude, authenticity, and better patient care.
• Innovation and risk (in life and tech) are essential for progress and resilience.
• The human side of medicine—friendship, wellness, culture—matters as much as technology.
• Puerto Rico’s healthcare leaders are boldly infusing AI into their medical landscape, grounded in both global best practices and deep local roots.
• Living fully means knowing life is finite—and bringing that awareness to every patient interaction.

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For more risk leadership insights and to connect with the guests, see the show notes at censinet.com

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Welcome to Risk Never Sleeps, where we meet and get to know the people delivering patient care and protecting patient safety. I'm your host, Ed Gaudet.

[C]

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the AI Med Insights podcast, sponsored by Sentinet and Outcomes Rocket. I'm so excited to be here again with my co host, Ed Gaudette.

[D]

Yo, Saul.

[C]

Good to be here, man. Good to be back.

[D]

Yeah. It's been crazy.

[C]

Insane.

[D]

I think we're on our, like, 50th episode here.

[C]

It's been incredible.

[D]

It's incredible.

[C]

The brains and I know the lives that we're learning about.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, folks, we have about to get even better.

[D]

We have a duel.

[C]

We have a duo coming up.

[A]

Duel.

[C]

You ready?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay. I want to introduce Dr. Orville Martinez. He is the CEO of Advanced Medical Research Center. And we also have Dr. Felix Rivera. He is the owner of US Neurology Consulting. Gentlemen, welcome to the Aimed Insights podcast.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Thank you. Thank you for the invitation.

[D]

Welcome. That is a beautiful leather coat.

[A]

Thank you.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

Sorry about this.

[D]

Where did you get that coat?

[A]

It was tailored by my tailor in Turkey. Yeah. And it was a gift from him. Yeah. Can I touch it? Oh, yeah.

[D]

Oh. Oh, it's like.

[A]

And he made it. Gorgeous jacket. It's gorgeous.

[D]

Lamb leather. Beautiful. I don't know if lambs didn't have leather, but it's quite touched.

[C]

And your glasses are awesome.

[D]

Yeah. The yellow is this. This gentleman's wear. Pop. Yellow glass, which is pops.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

No, it's good. You're making a statement.

[A]

Exactly.

[D]

Yeah. We're vibing rain. I feel like we're gonna vibe on this.

[C]

We're gonna vibe.

[A]

I do chills in it. We have a postcard.

[D]

Do you.

[C]

Oh, you guys have a podcast.

[A]

What's the Radio talk? Yeah.

[D]

Very comfortable in this.

[A]

So you know about it? I do. I know.

[D]

You got to just go with it. Go with the flow. Yeah. Felix looks a little scared, though. Does he have a podcast?

[E]

No.

[A]

You could. We have been in the podcast.

[E]

We started with the podcast, but we haven't picked up a lot of process.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

All right.

[A]

We don't have time.

[D]

Is it the El do podcast?

[E]

It could be.

[D]

I like that. El Door. Three. Three. Three, Three, Three, actually, why four threes?

[E]

Because I was in medical school, and I was just. I said, well, it's gonna be a lot. What do I do a lot? Three was already taken. No, let me just add three more and that's it.

[D]

Three is a good number.

[E]

Right? That's why it's like, why not?

[D]

That's my life path number 336, which is like the Christ number.

[C]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[E]

I got like the Christ Lord when that was 1999. That I did that.

[D]

You did 99. Whoa.

[E]

That Y2K was coming.

[D]

Yes, exactly. Remember that whole thing? What a disappointment that was. They scared the hell out of us. Like, everyone's running around trying to F the numbers and boom.

[A]

Nothing.

[D]

Burger.

[E]

Damn computer.

[D]

Yeah, nothing happened bad. I was going to make some money when things were just like, right. Crash.

[A]

I remember IBMs.

[D]

Everything was going. Everything.

[A]

And I missed that opportunity.

[E]

All the songs. 1999, Number of the Prince.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. What do you mean you missed that? What do you mean you missed that?

[A]

Oh, because Microsoft in that time crashed.

[E]

They all crashed.

[A]

I should have bought.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Amazon also dropped immensely.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Was the. The burst of the.

[A]

I remember a friend of mine, roommate saying, you have to buy.

[D]

You have to buy. And you didn't do it.

[A]

No, I think I have money.

[D]

It was a stupid. Well, all you needed was like a dollar. Oh, yeah, exactly. Million dollars right now. $1. Back then you could buy a stock for a dollar and you could make a billion dollars.

[A]

Yeah, I have seen it.

[D]

Have you seen it? Yeah. Have you experienced it?

[A]

Well, no, no, not me. Not me, but I have. What's the. What's the story's very close.

[D]

What's the riskiest thing you've ever done?

[A]

Pack crypto.

[D]

Crypto, yeah.

[A]

Well, I put a lot of money there, but you did. That was three.

[D]

You're still holding?

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

Nice.

[A]

Maybe at the end, maybe a few years. Yeah, it's just gonna be.

[D]

What's your password? Oh, that would be pretty risky. Tell me your password. How about you, Felix?

[E]

Oh, you're talking with the wrong guy.

[D]

Why?

[E]

Because I've jumped from airplanes. I've done. That's beautiful, baby. Bungee jump.

[D]

Where's the craziest place you bungee jumped from? A bridge.

[A]

Where?

[E]

Oh, actually, no, you know what? The craziest one was in Guadalajara, and it was in a parking lot of a shopping mall.

[D]

And what?

[E]

And you could jump as long as you paid for a detergent that they were selling. My friend called me up, hey, dude, you want to jump from. You know, have you done bungee? I was like, well, it's been a while. Oh, we're going to buy you two boxes so you can jump twice. I was like, okay. When I get there, there were no bags in the, you know, the airbags.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[E]

Really jumped to the concrete.

[C]

What?

[E]

So it was 100ft high. It was one of those long cranes and they would bring you up and I was asking them, where's the bag? He was like, no, senor.

[D]

Bungee jump.

[E]

We don't do bags.

[D]

From a crane.

[E]

From a crane.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

Did you touch.

[E]

Able to touch to the concrete?

[D]

Were you able to touch the concrete?

[E]

Thank God, no, but I jumped like head on with. Just strapped by the. By the ankle.

[A]

That's pretty crazy. Look, it's. Look, it's soft.

[D]

Damn.

[C]

That's pretty risky as hell, man. That takes the.

[D]

That might be the prize for actually up.

[E]

Jumped from the wing of an airplane.

[A]

Oh, really?

[D]

Okay. Why at 12,000ft? Why?

[E]

Because I was doing. I was doing skydiving and we were.

[D]

And you were on the wing of.

[A]

The plane and we were six.

[D]

Can you get cocktails out on the wing of a plane? Then they serve you your snacks. You're getting pretzels or anything?

[E]

The wind is pretty. It's pretty.

[D]

How are you holding on to the wing of like. How are you, like balancing.

[E]

It was. You would hold on to the.

[D]

Oh, one of those old time. Yeah.

[E]

Cessna. And I was in Puerto Rico near the beach.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And I know this guy for a long time.

[D]

Yeah, you know this guy for a long time. You didn't know this about him, Right? Look at that.

[A]

Look at that.

[E]

I've done a lot of crazy stuff.

[A]

Yeah, man.

[E]

But not. I'm not crazy. It's just.

[A]

No.

[E]

And now why do you do it?

[C]

Why do you do all of this?

[D]

He's adrenaline.

[E]

I like the fear of death. The adventure. Oh, the adventure and the. Yeah. The challenge. I don't do it now because I'm married.

[D]

Don't play marriage on that.

[C]

Got it out of your system now.

[E]

I go karting.

[C]

You got it out of your system.

[A]

Exactly. And you know that you're not about the insurance, your life insurance.

[C]

That's true.

[A]

That's the worst part.

[D]

Exactly.

[E]

They hear the podcast skydiving.

[D]

Yeah. We're talking to Harry Jones. Dr. Harry Jones.

[C]

So why'd you guys come to AI Med?

[A]

Yeah, well, this is the second time I went. Last year at Orlando.

[D]

I'm asking everybody was this bigger this year?

[A]

You know, we were talking about that last night. You were with some friends here. And I think last year was more people in Orlando.

[D]

More people. Because this is pretty impressive. Like 800 people.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. 800.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. We calculate around 500. Something you did, but yeah.

[D]

You might be more accurate. Oh, I know. I might be inflating.

[A]

We were adding in.

[D]

You were counting the people with the table per table. Felix just has counter hand out, doing the counter.

[A]

I love it, but I'm not sure, but it was. Is that really good? It's a really good.

[D]

What did you do last night? Where'd you go last night?

[A]

We went. Oh, we went dinner to sake restaurant. Oh, really?

[D]

Sushi.

[A]

It was a. It was a ramen noodles. Oh, my God.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

The best one. I don't know the name right now.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Can't beat a good bowl.

[D]

Where are you from?

[A]

I'm from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

[D]

Oh, San Juan.

[A]

So we flew.

[C]

I just moved. I was in Dorado.

[A]

I was living there.

[E]

That's why he is Rivera. Sounds Rivera.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

He didn't say Rivera.

[C]

I love Puerto Rico.

[D]

No, no, no. That's why I had him introduce you.

[A]

Because I almost said last time that you Rivera.

[C]

I mean, I went back five months ago, so we were just living there.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[D]

He lives here now.

[C]

I live in San Diego.

[A]

Where do you live? No, I live in San Juan still. Yeah, I work there.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I love someone.

[A]

I was born and raised, but in the middle of the island countryside. Yeah.

[C]

Oh, okay.

[A]

Where? Utuado.

[D]

Okay. Is that nice?

[C]

I've driven through there. Yeah.

[D]

Is that nice?

[A]

It's a cool mountain.

[D]

Beautiful.

[A]

Yeah. It's really green.

[D]

You look really chill. Do you think that's part of where you were born? Do you bring that view? Yeah. Where are you from, Felix?

[E]

Puerto Rico.

[C]

Oh, yeah, same.

[E]

Yeah. I was born in one as well, but my family is also from. So that's like the west.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Northwest side. I live in Texas, close to the beach, but all my family's there. We're in Texas between Austin and the most southern part of Texas, McAllen.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

What's it called?

[E]

McAllen.

[D]

Oh, you live in McAllen.

[E]

Yeah. Oh, I live, like, half and half now.

[D]

Do you like barbecue?

[E]

Oh, you're in Texas.

[D]

Austin barbecue is pretty good, right?

[E]

That river barbecue. I love Austin.

[D]

Austin's great, isn't it?

[E]

I love it.

[D]

I think it's the best place in Texas myself.

[E]

I love it. I love the food, the vibe.

[D]

The vibe? Yeah.

[E]

You can eat. You can eat.

[D]

It's like San Francisco and very chill. Yeah.

[E]

Yeah, it's super.

[D]

Very, very chill.

[C]

Although you can't beat a good lechonic.

[D]

Invited your friend to Austin. Oh.

[E]

I told him I want his kid to study in Austin so we can.

[D]

Yeah. Ut. I've got connections if you need any help.

[E]

My two kids are in ut.

[A]

This is the second time that I see him after 17 years it's been the second time. We just talk. We talk regularly.

[C]

Feels like you guys are brothers.

[A]

Yeah. His father is my patient. His grandma was my patient. We know.

[C]

Really?

[A]

We know. Since still around in New York, and I was there doing my last year.

[D]

Wait, what did you do? What's your specialty?

[A]

General practice.

[D]

General practice. Oh.

[E]

But he wanted to be in the ra.

[A]

I was. I was.

[D]

Could you check this out later maybe?

[A]

What thing?

[D]

A rash. I got a rash.

[A]

A rash? Yeah, man.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Let's do that.

[D]

It's always a rash, isn't it?

[A]

It's a cream.

[D]

Oh, is it cream for that?

[A]

Cream for a ratch?

[E]

There's always a cream for anything. There's nothing.

[D]

There's no cream for anything. All I can feel.

[C]

All right, so you're in San Juan.

[D]

Ye.

[C]

And you're in Texas. So what do you guys hope to take back home from the conference?

[A]

Well, you want to say something?

[E]

We've been talking about AI and the implementations in healthcare for a while, so we're very tech junkies. You know, we love. I have my OURA ring. We have watches. And we've seen the trend of how AI and other technologies are helping and where they're going. My field is neurology. His field is primary care. I mean, there's so many problems that can be optimized. Our workflow could be facilitated immensely. So, for example, in Puerto Rico, there's so much need in helping primary care physicians have a more efficient office, you know, where they can maybe continue to practice on their own. I work with a company that does neurologies. All we do is tele neurology, acute care in hospitals. But if I were to still have my own office, it would be just a large overhead. So if I want to counteract that, that overhead technology will definitely help, whether it's ambient technology or so that's part of what we're. We're here.

[A]

Exactly. Plus we are organizing the first AI Congress in the island 2026. So that's exciting.

[E]

You know, go to the island.

[A]

Really?

[C]

Let me know how I got.

[D]

Yeah, you probably need a media sponsor.

[C]

Oh, yeah, let me know.

[E]

Yeah, we have Lechon.

[A]

You know, we need to do it in a resort.

[D]

Where are we gonna go?

[E]

Oh, yeah, it has to be. Where are we going?

[C]

Where do you want to do it?

[A]

The real November 2026, we have two places not confirmed. One is the conventional center or the Sheraton Hotel just right next to it.

[E]

Oh, okay.

[C]

It's right by the airport. Yeah, the T Mobile arena over There.

[A]

No, no, no. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[D]

What about the Ritz?

[A]

The Ritz is no open.

[C]

I think it's.

[A]

Oh, yeah, there. I want to open it.

[D]

What about that? Yeah, Maybe people want to come back to the island.

[A]

I have to check on that.

[D]

You got to make it a big event. And it's going to be like the St. Regis.

[A]

Could be good.

[D]

Yeah. People to come for more than just the conference.

[E]

And that's the thing about Santa Cruz.

[D]

I like the way that you're out of nightlife.

[E]

You know what I mean?

[C]

You know?

[D]

But if you're at the airport, you don't want to be at the airport.

[A]

Oh, no, it's not. It's not. It's close by to the airport. You don't shoot it in property. It's a nice place. Oh, you've been there?

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

You've been in Puerto Rico?

[D]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got sick in Puerto Rico.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Well, I was on a cruise. You'll appreciate this.

[A]

It was in dengue, right.

[D]

It was out of Boston. And I don't know what he's saying, but I like it. And we hadn't even left the port. And of course we were drinking when I drank. I don't drink good. Thank you. I decided I was going to take a hot tub. I was going to go in the hot tub in the boat.

[A]

On the boat.

[D]

Yeah. You know this stuff. And I think I submerged my head underwater and something was swimming around there and got into my ear.

[C]

No.

[A]

And.

[D]

Oh, yeah, it was awful. And so day two went on. Something's going on. By day three, I wanted to take a drill to my head and core. Oh, my brain. Day four and I'm on the boat. Now the boat can't do anything. And they have not the best doctors.

[E]

No. No boats and no.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Like, from different.

[D]

I'm nothing against Romania, nothing against other countries, but these doctors were not good. They could not help me. All the kids kept doing is giving me pain meds. That was doing nothing to the pain. And it was getting worse.

[C]

Oh, that's terrible.

[D]

Redder. I was blowing up like a balloon. Something was coming.

[A]

So it was a b.

[D]

No, it was bacteria.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

From the hot tub. Oh, my God. Actually. Actually. A lot of. Yeah.

[D]

So here's my story about Salon. So we come in the harbor and I have to go to the hospital. Like emergency. I go to the emergency room. Damn that emergency room. It was so cold. Why is it so.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

Why do they keep it so cold? No, no, it's the Oxygen.

[A]

It's not. It's because the. The particulation of the particles, you know, like sneezing or coughing. The particles, they go down. They don't go up.

[D]

So I was running a temp, and I was freezing.

[A]

Yeah, that's very common in all the yards in Puerto Rico.

[D]

Is that right?

[A]

In.

[E]

Have to be cold also because of. To prevent infections.

[A]

Infections, yeah.

[E]

Keep it. If you keep it more on the warmer side, then you have more bacteria. I didn't know that.

[D]

No, it was cold.

[A]

You can't breathe more.

[D]

So my wife leaves me.

[E]

Like, left you?

[D]

Yeah, left me there in the. In the. In the room? Yeah, in the. Or.

[E]

Oh, left me in the room now.

[D]

I'm sorry. Left me in the er.

[C]

That's harsh.

[D]

Lobby.

[A]

Waiting.

[D]

Waiting to see. I forgive her.

[A]

I forgive her.

[D]

And. And this orderly came over, and I think he was a phlebotomist. Was gonna draw a blur or something.

[A]

It was a nurse.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, he was fine. He was from New York. I heard the New York accent, and I think I said something like, go, Jeter. Because I'm a Red Sox fan, not a Yankee fan, but I didn't want to say that. So I'm like, go, Jeter.

[C]

Yay.

[D]

My wife was there for that. So she laughed for that. But I was completely out of my mind. They give me a antibiotic. I have an allergic. Clindamycin. I have an allergic reaction to that. I'm an nsaid. I've got, like, all these. So now I'm going into, like, anaphylactic shock. So they flush my body with something that makes me better. Ooh, I'm back.

[A]

Hey.

[D]

And then the doc comes over, and they said, yeah, we have to call the head of surgery to get approval to give you this super antibiotic. And he's on the golf course.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[D]

And if this doesn't work, we might have to operate on your face.

[E]

And if it gets into the bone, patellitis.

[A]

So is that what it is? You got it. Very complicated.

[D]

Yeah, it was very complicated.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[E]

So actually can go to the brain?

[A]

No.

[D]

Well, you know what?

[A]

I may have made life there. It was.

[C]

It definitely hit his brain.

[D]

It was bad.

[E]

And they.

[C]

And they.

[D]

And they took me over to this. They took me over this. Would they give me a CAT scan? Yeah, yeah. They took me over to this wing of the hospital.

[B]

I mean, there was nobody in there.

[D]

They left me. There was like, a Scream movie, like a horror movie. Like, what's going on? Like, and I'm just there alone. And I'm like on all these drugs and stuff and there's no one here. Finally someone showed up, put me in the CAT scan, took me out, got the doctor got the approval for that antibiotic. You know what? They gave me the antibiotic and like 10 minutes, 15 minutes later you got better. Like nothing happened. Yeah. What the hell is that? What did they give me?

[E]

I don't know, but it was a good stuff.

[D]

It was super, super antibiotic that you.

[A]

Have to check on that.

[D]

Yeah, you got to check on that thing.

[A]

And I, the doctors didn't want to.

[E]

Come from the golf course.

[D]

He did not want to come from. Yeah, the time it took from them when they gave it to me to when I recovered, it was amazing. Next day, awesome.

[A]

Like nothing happened.

[E]

Your wife was back?

[D]

My wife was back. The worst part of this is I met somebody on the beach. I was telling her what happened. She goes, oh my God, did you swim in the hot tub the first day? I'm like her sister in law. Same thing happened to her.

[A]

Stay out of the hot tub.

[E]

That is the not even hotel you should do.

[D]

No, don't do the hunt.

[C]

Don't submerge anywhere.

[E]

You don't want anything.

[D]

Where were you years ago? It was like this time of year too. Like this is the anniversary because we were there for Thanksgiving. Yeah.

[C]

Well, there's some really great doctors in Puerto Rico. And now you guys are bringing AI to.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

To make it even better.

[D]

Oh, amazing care in Puerto Rico. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't.

[A]

For the medical profession. And be safe for your life.

[D]

The nurse, the doctors. Yeah. The admin, the technicians. Except for that person that wheeled me over to the wing there and left me.

[A]

That was.

[D]

Yeah, that was scary. It was in my head for a while. I was like, what's going on here? Is this hell? Maybe I've already died. I don't know.

[A]

It's a horror movie.

[D]

It was a horror movie. Yeah. Yeah.

[E]

When we do the conference, we'll just warn everybody. Don't be submerging your head with that.

[C]

Start with that. That's right.

[D]

We'll start there. That's a good recommendation. My ear actually strobing right now. I think it knows I'm talking about it.

[A]

It's muscle memory flyers.

[E]

But that here is probably never going to get infected. You know, my mom, she believes in things that are natural. When I was 12 years old, I had conjunctivitis. She says, honey, don't worry. Sit down here. I'm going to get you Some drops. They're going to get it out. She goes to the kitchen, she grabs a knife, she opens up a lemon. Well, a lime. The green one.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Put a lime in your eye.

[E]

And she said, okay, so lay back. Mom, what are you doing? Oh, just don't worry, don't worry. It was like, mom, that's a only moment. No, no, no. Click. The most horrendous pain I've had.

[D]

Oh, wow. Did it clear it out like that? And then.

[E]

And then she said, let's put it in the other eye. It was like, mom, just in case.

[A]

That eye is good.

[D]

You got two. Don't worry about it.

[E]

Don't worry. Let me just put in the other one. It's like, mom, I'm already crying.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[E]

I never got conjunctivitis ever again.

[C]

Ever again.

[E]

Ever again. She killed it. She killed the president. That' the lime.

[D]

Put the lime, coconut here and mix it all up.

[E]

My mom would make me teas out of grass. Oh. She would go to the front and she would be like grabbing grass.

[D]

Just grass. Just grabbing.

[E]

Yeah. Or rose petals or. She didn't believe in tallow.

[A]

Rose petals.

[D]

Nice. That's a nice tea.

[A]

Actually, that happened to me like three weeks or four weeks ago. I had a renal stone pain and. And I try every medication in my house. I called my dad and he told me, you have to go in the garden and look for this leaf.

[D]

Leaf.

[A]

So I make a T on that.

[D]

What was the leaf? I remember it.

[A]

Was it like.

[E]

Did it have like a certain break.

[A]

Or something like that?

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Did you smoke it?

[A]

No, I didn't have the same result. It didn't work. Finishing the er, you almost died.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

That's the wrong leaf.

[C]

Felix, if you could go back to being 20 years old, what advice would you give yourself?

[A]

Health.

[E]

Trust. Everything will be okay.

[D]

Boom. Yeah.

[B]

Nice.

[E]

Don't, don't.

[D]

Did you not trust things back then?

[E]

No. I was pretty wound up.

[D]

You were like.

[E]

I was pretty rebel when I was a young.

[D]

You were.

[E]

I was jumping from airplanes at 20. What?

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah. I think I. I like side of feeling. I underestimated what I could done. So I was riding bikes and doing stuff, but at the end of the.

[D]

Motorcycles.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

Street bikes, dude. That's cool.

[E]

Yeah. But at the end of the day, you just need to trust.

[C]

Trust.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

I mean, you're gonna have to put the work. But I would say, you know, everything will be okay. Just relax.

[D]

Pray nice.

[E]

You know, have pray.

[D]

Yeah, that's important.

[E]

It'll be okay.

[D]

Yeah. Appeal To a higher God.

[A]

Yeah, that's good.

[C]

Orville, what about you, man?

[A]

I was pretty quiet, boy when I was a kid. What I can say is, like, what I regret is not to be risky. So what I will say to myself is, get risky. Don't worry.

[D]

Get risky.

[C]

Get risky.

[A]

And do it.

[E]

It's a shame you didn't know me because on my.

[D]

Yeah, you're the other.

[E]

Like, don't do that. Don't be spending that money.

[D]

You guys have been good friends, like, growing up, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

You're the risky. You see, you were like.

[A]

He was a risky one.

[D]

Yeah, but I needed a balanced guy like him to sort of balance it off. Yeah, I got it.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

I got it.

[A]

It.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

The ying and the yang.

[D]

Yeah, you gotta have it. Look up. They're fist bumping. Yeah, Another fist bump. Official. Official. I love this show.

[E]

That's how it is, right?

[C]

It's fine.

[E]

My wife's the one that. She's like, listen, pray. I'm like, honey, I gotta do it. Yeah. And she's like, oh, she's.

[D]

She's the calming.

[E]

Let's pray. Let's pray about it. It was like, okay, okay.

[A]

Any word.

[D]

And it works.

[E]

Especially now with AI Right. Because we're going nuts. We want to do so many things. Yeah. So many. And we think that we're lagging behind, but what we talked about is that we're not. We're way ahead of most doctors that are not even thinking. That's right.

[D]

Yeah, exactly.

[E]

We're.

[D]

We're innovating right now. This is what innovation looks like. If you could stay alive forever, would you do it now? Why not?

[E]

No, I think everything has its course.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

You know, I want to make sure. I think that if I were to live, I mean, like, forever, I would not enjoy the present because I know I'm not going to die.

[D]

Oh, good response. Yeah.

[E]

So I know I. I want to live to the fullest. I like being grateful. I like. Yeah, they. Yesterday we're walking in the pier. I was bloated because I had my big bowl of soup, but it had some spices out. But it's just the little things we have to enjoy.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

I love that some people want to eat.

[D]

Horrible. What do you think?

[A]

On the same Lame.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You wouldn't want to live forever.

[A]

No, no, no. We were talking about this yesterday. Is that right now I'm older and not seeing myself in the back, but I see my life every day. Like, I recognize that we have an expiration date.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And that makes me feel alive. So I'm trying to enjoy my life knowing that there's only time. I'm getting close.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

The summers are counting down.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[D]

So what are you, like 22 right now?

[A]

25.

[E]

Mentally.

[C]

Young, man.

[D]

Damn it.

[E]

Okay, well, either way, age is just. It's amazing. It's just a number. I have patients that are super in their 80s and 90s. They're so young. And then I have patients in their 40s that they act like.

[D]

Exactly.

[A]

They're 100.

[E]

Yeah, like life. Like if the life.

[D]

20 year olds act like they're 100.

[E]

I mean, like we like having fun with our kids.

[D]

You gotta have fun. How many kids?

[E]

Oh, three. So I run bike, mountain biking with them.

[D]

Boys.

[E]

That's awesome. Boy, 20. Girl, 18. Boy, 14.

[D]

Oh, 14. Okay.

[A]

I have three too. The oldest one is 17, is a boy. Oh, two girls, 1 7, 1 9. So.

[D]

You'Re in the middle.

[A]

I was changing diapers yesterday, you know.

[D]

Wow. Yeah.

[A]

They're growing so fast.

[D]

No phones. Don't give them phones ever.

[A]

Only when we are in a restaurant, because if not, we cannot eat. Really? Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

Oh, but just entertain only the restaurant.

[D]

No, that's just. You're gonna get them.

[A]

They get messy. That's like.

[C]

That's.

[D]

That's a Trojan horse.

[A]

Coloring.

[D]

How about coloring books? No one colors anymore. Color coloring.

[A]

No col. Oh, yeah. We do that first.

[D]

You do?

[A]

We do that first. We bring other things. Exactly. Like games. Yeah, but they get bored so fast. Yeah, I know, I know. You know what?

[D]

You're a little shot of Benadryl like my mother used to give me.

[E]

Little drops.

[D]

Yeah, a little drop. Put them to sleep. Yeah, yeah. I got a. I got hyper on Benadryl, so it didn't really work.

[A]

No, I don't like it.

[C]

The opposite effect.

[A]

I still. I feel drunk for three days, you know. Oh, man, that's bad.

[D]

Love that.

[C]

Well, I think we've gotten here at the time.

[D]

We're done with this.

[C]

Yeah. Come on. Okay, well, but. But listen, guys, let's do a part two. We want to learn more about what we've got going on. Yeah. AI in Puerto Rico.

[A]

Really?

[D]

Interesting.

[A]

I will see you there. Up to you.

[E]

We got to do this there.

[A]

Let's do this there, guys.

[D]

There.

[A]

Let's talk.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. Puerto Rico. Yeah. At the St. Regis Hotel.

[E]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

That's what I think.

[C]

You got to think. That's where it's happening.

[D]

You'll get a lot of people to the is. I think we really promote the hell out of this.

[E]

Like to go. That's a. Those are nice.

[C]

Take a shout out to.

[D]

It's beautiful. He is a marketing machine. Paul Marquez. Yeah, he puts the M in marketing. Marquez.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

On the rocket.

[E]

And you know what?

[D]

When you have a problem, better call Saul.

[C]

That's awesome. Well, hey, listen, guys, really appreciate you being with us. We'll leave all the ways that the listeners could get in touch with you in the show notes. Thank you all for joining us.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Thank you for having us.

[A]

Thank you for invitation.

[B]

Thanks for listening to Risk never sleeps. For the show notes, resources and more information and how to transform the protection of patient safety. Visit [e-mail] that's C E N S.

[E]

I.

[B]

I'm your host, Ed Gaudet. And until next time, stay vigilant because risk never sleeps.