So wanted to do a quick video with a patient and friend of mine Felix
Ontiveros. I first met Felix by phone. He called me. What was it we
talked about that? It's about 2 years ago two and a half. And he said, Doc, I'm
I've recently retired. I had a very active business. It was in helping clean
up after disasters like hurricanes. But one of the things I did was I ended
up working a lot and putting my health off. And at this point, I've got some
things going on with my health, and I want to focus on those. And you know what,
even though I wish I had focused more on my health earlier, it's never too late,
and I'm gonna get in the saddle and see what I can do to get some of this fixed.
So, he's also got a couple other stories. That was two and a half years
ago. He's made some incredible improvements over some of the
challenges that he had with some kidney problems which I think he can... we can
talk about. And now, he's in the mode of saying, ok, this is a marathon,
it's not a sprint. So Felix, take it from your side. Alright. So yeah, you're right.
I contacted you. I actually contacted you all while I was in the hospital waiting
to have bypass surgery six my rather and I told you know we'd spoke and I said,
you know after I get out of the hospital, you know I started reading a book, and
that's what made me call you all. That I wanted to... I wanted to go beyond that
standard of care because you know I you know I knew I was a type 2 diabetic
you know. But my cholesterol had always been a number that wasn't high. It was
never about 200 you know. So I thought you know, how can this possibly happen?
I knew I'd had some skids put in on two occasions before
and lucky adventure you know. I worked you know I had my own business you know.
It was a stressful business, and you know I failed exercise, need a good diet you
know. When I did exercise, there was never any consistency you know. I might go hard
at it for a few weeks or a month, and be off of it for 10 or 11 months you know.
So and my diet wasn't was never very good, but I always went to the doctor
always. Got that cholesterol check and you know I thought yeah it's not that
bad you know. And my diabetes always went in and had
my A1c checked and yes it was hard and I was in the you know 8, 9. And then
one time, I was even in the levant you know but there was never anybody said
you got to change this you know. Those dos saying, you got to change this or
you're gonna you know you're gonna damage your heart you know. It was always
about my kidneys, are always about you know other functions, but never nobody
ever spilled it out like it isn't that good you know and like what you all do.
And so when I calling you when I was total sconce had bypassed and six up you
know, I went and talked to two of the doctors you know. They confirmed it too.
So I spent about two weeks in the hospital waiting for that, and during
that time I I read the book and I reached out to you all and saying, when
this is all done you know, I want to... I want to get part of this program and
start going beyond this. I won't know why you know why and I want to make the
changes. And how did I do that? So after I recovered, you all came in to Tulsa and
we visited did a lot of lab work and you know I think that was I think that maybe
three years ago and then we stopped doing this on a regular basis and you
know you all would over explain all the different labs and you know made changes
and some of my medication and you know they took a while for my diabetes doctor
to be on sync you know. He questioned the methods and you know like any doctor
you know that question, what are you selling at the end? Is there a secret
potion that you're selling? You know that's what he assumed as well
as my cardiologist. And you know I think it took the second labs for them to look
at all the detail that you were doing that they were never do you know in who
the labs were being done by that. They started really looking more into this
especially when my cholesterol. When you made the medication change on my statin
that it went up and then it started going down and down and getting more
level you know. When I first went up, both doctors were like you know, I think we
need to go back, and I go well you know he's no yeah doctor version, you give it
some time you know, give it give it a couple months, and let's get some good
lights on this thing. And you know but the third month when it started going
down a lot further than they'd ever seen, you know that was an eye-opener
then. My diabetes doctor wasn't really... he wasn't on board until he seemed mighty
one sees really drunk you know and it was you know and I and over the years
that had never happened and I was on a lot of insulin. I was on... I used to take
60 units in the morning, 60 at night, 10 with each mill and then the sliding
scope from that customer foreman. But it was until I started working with you all
that I ever got it blow ate you know any indicate is continue to drop. There's a
need improvement. Yeah, it still does, but it's... I'm not on any insulin. I take I
take the one what a weak shot you're shot once a week and I'll take the
metformin who did this change those a lot. So that bears repeating and that
was a lot of hard work on your part. You were on a lot of insulin and you're now
much too young now. I just take the vigor all your pill once a week a new insulin
or no insulin anymore. So again a lot of really good work. Yeah, I lost full of
them 55 pounds you know, and it's not it you know I lost a great deal at one you
know in about a three-month period. And then you know it was you know in most of
my way through my belly you know shock that weighed my face,
my arms, my chest, and you know then the belly has been the hardest to lose. But
you know I lost a consistent amount of weight and then
have you know maintain that weight then and continue to lower a little by
little you know. It's fluctuated a little bit you know,
but it's and I've been on diets before. I never have had this success a lot of. It
is you know there's my cardiologist told me once, he started... he was the first one
that get on board with your labs you were doing you know. He's
well aware of it. I just said that's just not their standard of practice, that's
not his. He's well aware of that method. I was very open-minded you know. He's you
know... when he started seeing the big changes you know, he's basically just
like has done your labs taking them and incorporated into their records. And his
comment to me was, you know this is as you know I've talked about it, this is a
lifestyle marathon and not race you know. You're in this for the rest of your life.
But the good thing about it is you got to do it for the rest of your life, your
life that you can do it rather than not having one yeah. And my diabetes doctor, I
think we really got him once he changed. But the other change was you know for
the years I'd seen him, I was steadily losing kidney function kept down then I
was in you know I was on dialysis. But you know I was on that, I was on that big
decline to where I was losing kidney function on a yearly basis, and now
it's improved work you know. Could it be better? Yes but I'm not at that
line there where I was before in the 30s and 40s you know. It's improved a
lot the first. I'm glad you brought that up and that was the first thing that
really knocked my socks off where you you had a kidney function down in the
third, that's significant kidney failure. But after that weight loss and a lot of
the work you did, you got it back up to what what did you get it back up to I
think I was in the 68 I think this last one was 71.
And they say you can't reverse kidney disease, kidney loss,
kidney failure. You're living proof that you can.
It takes time usually, and it takes some significant effort. But you did it right.
Yeah you know you know and I talk to people all the time you know about them
about the book and working with you all and you know I thought you know I think
a lot of doctors miss a lot of this. You know you know my oldest sister
you know I've shared with you that you know you know out of my grouper I you
know brothers and sisters you know she was probably the one that
didn't really take the time to read the book the copies that she gave me that I
passed to them you know. And she'd been for the most part she told of the manor
she's 56 and she would have been 74 well you know. She passed away you know
but had her husband kind of got involved and read this book you know and
understood everything that you all do. I think it could have been prevented
because the first docs, ER doc, just missed the signs of what was
going on with her. Family doctor missed the signs. It was until she had a massive
heart attack that you know when she got to the heart hospital versus in
ER, they picked up on what the other doctors had missed that. It had been
ongoing for several days. And you know they dismiss that and the lab work that
they pulled up you know when she was there you know. You could see that there
there was things that were going on, historical things that the other docs
doctors had missed you know. I think it's that back to that standard of care.
There's only so much that I do it. If you don't yourself... if you don't go out and
investigate and find out is there more, what are they missing you know, you're
going to just you're ready, you're going to follow that same trail over and over
and over you know taking a different route
and looking is there something else you know because and I'm not contact you all
what I lost weight yeah. What I've made some changes on eating red meat
absolutely you know. But I think my biggest failures would have been the
carbs you know. Now, they're really understanding you know what I see today
when you all do labs for me you know, the labs with my other two doctors you know
you know. But I really don't look at those very often you know just for the
fact that they're not nowhere near as detail as these you know the labs that
we do together. And I still send my labs to I deal with you all to my doctors and
you know if my cardiologist uses those labs and my diabetes doctor you know he
does but you know he definitely likes is you know because it's in-house.
But you know, I think they all of them get a lot more benefit than what you
already do you know. I think you have to... when you're in a situation where you're
diabetic, you have any kidney failure every carb from the things... I just
don't think you could afford to do that standard of care came for very long. Well
I mean or you get what you get absolutely sharing that you know. I
wanted to make a comment. We just had the Louisville event a few weeks ago and
one of the major focus points was, look, this is a team, it's a community, there's
more than just me out there. I've got friends, I've got family. I just wanted to
to compliment you and make the other folks aware. So after getting up and
rolling with this, Felix said, you know, what I've got a family here. We've got
several people with risk, got a couple of friends, why don't you just come over
here. And we we did. We went to Tulsa. We've rented some rooms in a
hotel there and set up an event right there for the Ontiveros family and a
couple of other folks. Great event, loved it. I open or all that music my
the ones that participated or wanted to you know it was an eye-opener if you
know. And I still got some siblings that you know that they're hesitant
to do this only because they really don't want to know you know. I mean you
know. Yeah and I understand that you know and that may have been my deal years ago
that I really don't wanna know. I was in denial. I took my medication. But I
really didn't you know... I really... if I didn't think about it, it wasn't true you
know back if you don't think about it. It will come true. Exactly. That's the you
know it's scary to deal with it. Yes, you realize there's a way out. It's like I
should have done this years ago, right? Yeah, yeah. Well, Felix, this has been
a great interview, a great visit. I appreciate what you've shared. I
appreciate you sharing things that other folks can use in terms of improving
their health and the health of their community and family. It's been great.
I appreciate working with you all. It's you know y'all y'all have been wonderful.
Thank you much. Anything else? Yep, I think that's it okay we'll talk to
you later. Thank you. The Louisville event was an
incredible success. Many people didn't know that that was our first attempt to
coordinate the whole thing ourselves and it was better than we had hoped. A
lot of focus and people saying, you know what, I know that we can deal with this
together as a group. There are other people that I'm meeting here at this
event that are doing the same things I'm doing and with success. I don't have to
be a doctor to know all this stuff. We are going to go ahead and have another
one on February 28th in the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando.