May 14, 2025 • 64 mins
When Clara Suarez left Colombia for America, she carried her late father's dream of building a better life. Through sheer determination, she conquered dental school twice—once in her homeland and again in the United States—eventually establishing a thriving practice in Houston. Her perfect smile caught the eye of orthodontist David Harris, and their Valentine's Day wedding seemed to seal her fairy tale transformation from impoverished immigrant to successful professional.
Together, they built what appeared to be the perfect life—a dental empire spanning six practices, twin sons, and a beautiful home in an upscale suburb. Behind Clara's achievements lay a perfectionist drive born from childhood loss, a relentless pursuit of excellence that never quite filled the void left by her father's absence.
The facade cracked in 2002 when Clara discovered David's affair with his receptionist. Her response revealed the dangerous undercurrent of obsessive perfectionism that had always driven her success. She hired a personal trainer, planned cosmetic surgery, and even abandoned her hard-won dental career to focus exclusively on saving her marriage.
When these desperate measures failed, something snapped. On a July evening outside the very hotel where they'd celebrated their wedding reception, Clara made a split-second decision that destroyed everything she'd built. With her teenage stepdaughter in the passenger seat witnessing the horror, she circled the parking lot three times before deliberately running over David with her Mercedes-Benz.
The murder trial exposed the raw wounds of betrayal and rage that had festered beneath the polished surface of their marriage. Though convicted and sentenced to twenty years, Clara served fifteen before her 2018 parole. Her case stands as a chilling reminder of how quickly unchecked emotions can unravel even the most carefully constructed lives.
What drives someone to destroy everything they've worked for in a moment of passion? Listen now to explore the psychological forces behind this tragic true crime that shocked Texas and the nation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello Amanda Jenna Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
How are you?
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
How are you Good?
But tell me how's your puppy?
I heard she had to go to thedoctor.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yeah, she's okay.
She just got a little case ofthe sickness, but she'll be good
, poor little thing.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I mean, it's that time of year.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Little thing Keeping mama it's that time of year
Little thing Keeping mama on hertoes.
Right, they're worth it thoughright Fitting, yeah, oh yeah,
did you have a good Mother's Day?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I did, I had a little brunch action, had a little
gardening.
How about you?
Oh my gosh, how's yourgardening coming along.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
We had the same exact day actually, really.
We took mom to brunch, yeah,and then we went and bought some
plants and we planted them allin her planters.
She has these big, huge, raisedtwo huge flower garden beds in
the backyard, so got those allset up with some flowers.
(01:06):
Oh, you're such a good daughter.
Oh, thank you, it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, well, I think she had a good day.
I got my mom some cozy earthpajamas.
She almost tried them on in therestaurant, which was super
funny, because she was likegoing to the bathroom and she's
still clutching her present withher pajamas in it, and my dad
was like, are you trying this onhere?
She's like oh, no, no, no, no,I'll wait till I get home.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, I guess you can hold them.
It was so cute.
Oh well, I'm glad she lovedthem.
Happy Mother's Day to all ourmama listeners.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah to anyone who's ever mothered anything, whether
it be a plant anything an aminal, a boyfriend I don't know, just
saying yeah humans, fur babies,heaven babies, all the baby
Right.
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
All righty, I see you have a correction section.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I do have a correction section.
So I was talking aboutcannabis-induced psychosis for
those of you who listened to thelast episode and I decided that
I knew what a matic was,because somebody went psycho and
killed somebody with a maticand I decided it was this big
like caveman club with likespikes on it.
(02:30):
I just totally made that up.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
It's actually I mean, when you said it, though, I was
like, obviously she's right,that is what it is if you're
gonna make a mistake, do it withconviction, then people will
believe you matter.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
But anyway, I did look it up.
After the fact, it's a pickaxe,so nowhere I mean it's not any
better that this is whatsomebody was beaten with, but um
I feel like that, almost feelsworse.
No, I know let's not think aboutit too much.
Um.
And then the other one was Iwas wondering where, what the
(03:03):
name of the drug was, wherepeople would go to have these
psychedelic experiences, wherethey like dig deep into their
psyches and hopefully changeforever and they go off into the
Amazon or whatever.
And I couldn't think of thename other than, like I don't
know, some kind of mushroom orpeyote or something.
It's ayahuasca.
So I I woke up one day and Ijust went ayahuasca.
(03:30):
So it's a South Americanpsychoactive beverage
traditionally used by indigenouscultures and folk healers in
the Amazon and Orinoco basinsfor spiritual ceremonies,
divination and a healing of avariety of psychosomatic
complaints.
But if you have a, you know,mental illness or predisposition
for um addiction and that sortof thing, this would not be good
(03:52):
for you.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So anyway, that's what I was thinking of in the
last episode.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
But happy sweet 16, what do?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
we got today.
I know we're getting so old,look at us driving cars and
things yeah, um, well, before Itell you what we're doing, um,
I'd had a little bit of businessto cover, so jenna created a
youtube page for doctoring thetruth.
(04:22):
She was hard working on this onthe weekend.
Y'all, the page has a poll thatwe would love for you guys to
take.
The poll is what should ourlisteners be called?
And the options includetruthologists, alley cats, dr
(04:52):
Reno's and DTT patients.
Um, I voted, I tried to sharethe poll or the page on our
socials so that it would be easyfor you guys to click on, but
it did not allow me to do that,so I need to.
I mean, there's probably a way.
I just need to look more intothat, but you heard it here
first.
There is a poll on youtube pagedoctoring the truth.
Um, for what y'all should becalled.
I'm not gonna bias anyone, butI feel very partial to one yeah,
(05:16):
I'm curious.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Um, I did vote, uh, so we'll just have to see what
our fans want to be called canyou see who voted for?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
what did you?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
see what I voted for no, it's, it's anonymous, so
don't worry yep, do you think wevoted for the same one?
Maybe because they're not thatmany votes.
We gotta get it, we gotta get.
Actually, the youtube page islike.
I'm working on it, it's, it'suh, it's a little bit harder to
access than I'd hope.
So give us your feedback ifyou're having trouble, because
(05:46):
you know I'll keep working onhow to make this easier to
access or I'll find a youngerperson to help me.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I'll find a child that ain't going to be me.
You guys, Maybe we can askMallory to help us.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, she's so smart.
I know we need a social mediamanager.
Feel free to apply, but don'tapply on social media.
We won't find it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Also, there is no pay .
We're doing this for the heartof it, baby It'll be
philanthropic.
That's right, For sure yesexactly, Put it on your resume
your philanthropic work.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Community service.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, community service.
Okay, yeah, yes, anyway, let's,let's move along.
Then, on that note, um, theonly trigger warning for this
episode is infidelity, so ifthat's a sore spot for you, just
know it's going to be writtenthroughout the story.
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Speaker 1 (08:25):
Right, you nailed it.
You're doing great.
You're doing great.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
You know, thank you, thank you.
I'm just gonna take a littlesip of water here before we jump
into our story.
So sorry, if you guys can hearthat, jenna will edit it out.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Hydration it's important.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Okay, are you ready?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
for this one.
I am so ready.
I'm excited for this one okay,here we go.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Uh, my resources that I used will be listed in the
show notes, all right.
Clara suarez grew up in bogota,colombia, a city of sharp
contrasts where wealth andpoverty lived next to each other
, but worlds apart.
Her family fell on the sidewith less.
(09:16):
Her mother was a dressmaker,sewing clothes for people of
bogota while her Aww.
That love became a shield, ananchor and a place where
violence was part of everydaylife, where gunfire and drug
trafficking were just part ofthe background noise.
Clara's father was her biggestchampion.
He always told her to look pastthe world around her to imagine
(09:37):
something better, somethingmore.
But in 1964, when Clara wasonly six years old, he passed
away.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Oh, that's horrible, I know that's so young.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
His death was a devastating loss for the family.
For Clara, it was more thanjust heartbreak.
It became a turning point.
Even as a young girl, she madea quiet promise to herself she
would live out the dreams herfather didn't get to see come
true.
Above all else, he had one wishfor her that she would go on
one day to make it to Americaand build a better life.
(10:10):
As she grew older, that wishbecame her mission.
Clara turned into anoverachiever.
She was driven and determined.
Her ambition was a true tributeto the father she had lost.
But at the same time, that lossleft a mark.
While it pushed her forward, italso quietly held her back,
stunting her psychologicaldevelopment.
(10:33):
Perfectionists often measuretheir worth not just by what
they achieve, but by how othersrespond to those achievements.
In Clara's case, her drive forperfection may have started with
a desire to impress her father,but he wasn't there to see her
successes or to offer theapproval she so deeply craved.
Without that guiding presence,her perfectionism had no limits.
(10:54):
There was no finish line.
No matter how much sheaccomplished, it never felt like
enough.
That relentless pursuit ofexcellence may have led her down
a path few dared to followDentistry.
In 1970s, colombia, dentistrywas far from a common career
choice.
In fact, in 1969, there wereonly four dental schools in the
(11:16):
entire country and very few wenton to graduate from those
programs.
The programs were intense,demanding and highly selective.
But for someone like Clara, whowas drawn to structure, rigor
and high expectations, it madesense.
The challenge wasn't andeterrent, it was an appeal.
(11:37):
By her late 20s, Clara hadearned her degree in dentistry
and opened her own practice inBogota.
It was an incredible milestonefor her.
But even with her success, onedream still lingered in the
background or maybe it was morethan a dream, perhaps it was a
promise the one her father hadalways hoped for her that she
would move to America and builda life there.
(11:58):
That dream became her nextmission.
By 1986, after years of hardwork and saving all the money
she could, clara finally hadenough money to take the leap.
She knew the road aheadwouldn't be easy.
To practice dentistry in the USshe'd need a degree from an
American school.
So she enrolled and wasaccepted at Washington
(12:19):
University in St Louis.
Four years later she graduatedand moved to Houston to complete
a one-year residency at theUniversity of Texas Dental
Branch.
In June of 1991, at the age of33, clara reached the goal she'd
been chasing for most of herlife.
She had completed her Americaneducation and was finally ready
to open a practice of her own.
(12:42):
Before taking the final step inher professional journey, clara
made an unexpected detour, onethat had nothing to do with
dentistry.
She decided to enter a localbeauty pageant.
It was a contest forColombian-born women living in
Houston, a celebration of beauty, elegance and cultural pride.
Contestants were expected torepresent not just grace and
(13:03):
poise, but also traditionalColombian values.
For Clara, the idea brought backvivid memories of the stunning
women she used to admire on thestreets of Bogota.
Stepping onto the stage wasn'tsomething that she had done
before, but, like everychallenge in her life, she
embraced it head on, and onceshe did, it was clear she
belonged there.
She did, it was clear shebelonged there With her radiant
(13:27):
red hair, captivating smile anda beauty mark on her left cheek
that made her face unforgettable.
Clara instantly stood out.
She dazzled the judges not justwith her looks, but with her
intelligence, charm and poise.
When she waved from the stageand answered their questions,
she did it with a quietconfidence that was hard to
ignore.
In the end she made, made itlook easy, just like she always
did.
That year she was crowned1991's miss columbia houston wow
(13:50):
another title, another triumphand another way.
She proved that, no matter thestage, she knew how to rise to
the top.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
That's amazing.
Is it bad that?
I was like, well, how's herteeth?
I mean, does she have, like,does she have amazing teeth?
Though, I mean, cause you're,she's gorgeous, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
She's beautiful.
Yeah, I guess, like um most ofthe pictures I saw of her online
, she's um not very happy, so Idon't actually recall if I know
what her teeth look like, butI'm sure her teeth are great.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
I'm just like picturing this like beautiful
smile with her big hair, causeyou said she had a captivating
smile and I was like, but how'sher teeth?
It must be amazing, cause she'sgoing into dentistry Um, I
don't know and she's dazzlingeveryone.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
She's dazzling Cool.
I'm going to have to see if Iactually can see a picture with
her um, with her teeth.
I'm sure they're great.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
13 because I'm sure they're great, um, but yeah,
most of the pictures I saw forshe was crying, so let's get a
little further into this.
Okay, I'm not, I don't thinkI'm gonna like where this is
going.
Okay, probably not okay, allright.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
With an american dental degree in hand and a
beauty pageant crown to her name, clara felt unstoppable.
She had climbed every mountainshe set her sights on, except
for one love.
For years, romance had taken abackseat to her ambitions.
There simply wasn't time for it.
But now, for the first time,she felt ready to open that part
(15:16):
of her heart.
She was ready to find Mr Right,and it didn't take long.
After graduation, clara accepteda position at Castle Dental
Center in Houston.
That is where she met DavidHarris, an orthodontist who had
also graduated from theUniversity of Texas Dental
Branch.
David was 33, handsome, smartand funny.
He had a five-year-old daughter, named Lindsay, from a previous
(15:39):
marriage, but the divorce wasfinalized by the time he and
Clara had crossed paths.
He was completely available andcompletely smitten.
Their connection was instantand things moved quickly.
After six months of dating,clara and David were married on
Valentine's Day in 1992 at theHilton Hotel in Nassau Bay.
It seemed like a storybookending.
(16:01):
Clara had it all a successfulcareer, a husband who adored her
and a new family to call herown, and together they built a
beautiful home in Friendswood,texas, a wealthy suburb.
From the outside, clara andDavid looked like a perfect
couple.
Whenever they were out andabout, clara could be seen on
his arm, beaming, laughing andjust completely in love.
(16:22):
And David, he wasn't just herhusband, he was her biggest
cheerleader.
When Clara told him she wantedto open a practice of her own,
he didn't hesitate.
He urged her to go for it,leave her job and chase that big
next dream.
And she did.
In the months that followed,clara poured herself into
building her own dental practice, hiring staff, building a
(16:43):
caseload and laying thegroundwork for what would become
something much bigger.
Within a year, she was ready toexpand.
In April of 1993, she boughtout the practice of a retiring
dentist in a more rural area.
It came with a brand newpatient base and even more
responsibility.
Her days were long and herschedule full, but Clara thrived
(17:03):
on the chaos.
Busyness, after all, had alwaysbeen her comfort zone.
David was inspired by hermomentum and decided to take his
own leap.
He also left Castle DangerCenter.
Castle Danger, if you're notfrom Minnesota, is a brewery.
That is not where he left.
He left Castle Dental Centerand opened his own orthodontics
(17:25):
practice, called space centerorthodontics.
With both of them now leadingtheir own clinics, the couple
made a strategic decision.
They would join forces.
On fridays, clara would visitdavid's office to see patients
and on mondays he'd do the sameat hers.
She handled the dental work andhe offered orthodontics.
It was the perfect professionalpairing and that's why I said
(17:48):
she probably had nice teethbecause she was married to an
orthodontist.
I mean, I'm sure they weregreat before that, but if not,
he could fix them.
That partnership soon becameofficial.
They became business partners,not just spouses, and over the
next several years they builtwhat many would call a dental
empire.
They owned six practices spreadacross the Houston area.
(18:11):
On paper it was a dream cometrue A thriving business, a
shared vision, a powerful coupledoing it all together.
And you know, just to add tothe chaos, clara and David
welcomed twin boys Brian andBradley into their lives in the
late 90s.
Even with the business of theircareers the busyness of their
(18:32):
careers, excuse me.
By all accounts, her childrenwere the center of her life.
Friends and acquaintancesdescribed her as a deeply
family-oriented woman, butbehind the scenes things weren't
as seamless as they seemed.
While their careers soared andtheir family grew, their
marriage began to quietlyunravel.
To outsiders, they were theembodiment of the American dream
(18:55):
.
Clara often remarked that shewas living her life that her
father had envisioned for her.
But beneath the polishedsurface, the foundation of their
marriage was eroding.
And isn't that kind of alwaysthe way, like the people that
you see?
They're like oh my god, they'reso perfect, everything's so
great.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Like Instagram polished and you're like, ooh,
there's a crack in the facade,yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
They always say like yeah, probably if you don't see
much of them online, they'reprobably happier.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
I don't know, and that's not true for everybody,
but anyway that's sad.
In 2002, after a decade ofmarriage, clara began to notice
troubling signs.
David was growing distant,emotionally unavailable and
frequently absent under theguise of work.
Emotionally unavailable andfrequently absent under the
(19:49):
guise of work.
Diana, a woman who worked inher dental office, informed her
this is Clara that she thoughtDavid was having an affair.
This fueled suspicion stirringin her heart, but Clara wanted
desperately to believe in thelove that they had built.
She thought that Diana was justtrying to destroy her marriage.
I mean, how could it be true?
It just couldn't be.
Additionally, her desire tomaintain the integrity of her
(20:11):
home life was a major reason.
She initially tried to overlookthe gut feelings Because, you
know, she had to maintain thatimage.
She couldn't shake the feelingsand confronted David.
He did admit to being.
He did admit to seeing hisreceptionist Gail, but that he
had done no more than kiss herhand, declared to Clara that he
(20:33):
would do anything to save theirmarriage.
Clara demanded that David fireGail that day and that she
wanted to go to marriagecounseling.
She also requested that he tellhis parents and their pastor.
After their discussion, clarafelt super angry and very
confused.
She went downstairs to thekitchen where her stepdaughter
Lindsay was and said there issomething that you need to know
(20:56):
about your dad.
Lindsay already knew.
She told Clara.
All the girls in the officeknow dad and Gail go for lunch
every day and this was moreinformation than david had
revealed to clara.
Oh, classic cheater.
But she frantically began allefforts to save their marriage,
taking david on a romantic dateto a piano bar.
(21:18):
And there she asked him I wantto know what is so attractive
about her?
What is the difference betweenher and me?
Clara remembers david answeringthis question that she had zero
fat.
Um, also, your wife justbirthed twins to you, douchebag.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
But okie, dokie, you pos uh, oh, blood and artery
here.
Oh my goodness, what a.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
At the piano bar.
David not only admitted tohaving sex with Gail, but they
had sex three times a day.
Clara was sick.
How could her husband be moreattracted to another woman?
How could another woman satisfyhim more than she?
She reportedly hired a personaltrainer, got a membership at a
(22:13):
tanning salon and planned tohave her hair and nails done
every day.
She even went as far as puttingdown a deposit at the plastic
surgeon's office for breastaugmentation and liposuction.
She went shopping for a newwardrobe that she felt was
sexier, and, in an effort todevote herself entirely to David
, she made the most extremesacrifice.
(22:33):
She called her office and saidthat she was retiring.
She said she was going todedicate herself to her family.
Like what Girl?
You just built this whole dreamthat your dad wanted for you
and now, because your husbandcan't keep his weenie in his own
pant, you're going to throwyour career away.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Oh, my God, and it's not.
She's making it her fault.
She's making it her fault as if, as if, oh boy, Okay, david
agreed to break things off withGail.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we can believe him right.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I gail, yeah, we can believe him, right.
I mean he's, he's just gonnatell the truth, because they
always agree to your face, butanyway, um, it's honorable, okay
.
Yeah, clara wanted him to callher and end things immediately,
because we've already proventhat when I confronted you at
the house, you've only kissedher on the hand, but your
daughter knew more that you goto lunch with every day and now
(23:32):
we now we have sex three times aday.
Oh you know what.
But I mean, he said he's sorry.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Well, you know what.
You're right.
I mean, he said he's sorry,he's going to stop, so let's
drop everything and believe him.
Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 2 (23:48):
You're right, who am I?
So, as I was saying, clarawanted him to call things like
in front of her and end it, butnope, he wanted to do it in
person.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Oh, in person, and without his clothes on, probably
Truth be told.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
So sorry One more time.
Yeah, clara agreed to let himdo this and he had planned to
meet Gail at a local restaurant.
Her gut feelings were still onhigh alert, obviously.
So Clara hired a privateinvestigator Bobby Boacca Boacca
, I don't know.
Bobby, I'm so sorry To listenin on David and Gail's
(24:22):
conversation to confirm thatthey were actually ending their
relationship.
I respect it.
I would have sent a friendthere.
But whatever, bobby was awell-known figure in Texas who
ran the agency Blue MoonInvestigations.
Bobby was somewhat of a localcelebrity in the Houston area at
the time.
She was flamboyant, media savvyand known for taking on high
(24:44):
profile cases.
Clara contacted Bobby in Julyof 2002 and shared what we
already know Her husband hadbeen cheating on her and she
needed to confirm that he wasactually ending the affair.
She shared that he was takingGail to a local restaurant to
end things.
Bobby took the job and the BlueMoon investigation team was on
the case tailing David.
(25:05):
It didn't take long beforeBobby and her team confirmed
that David was indeed involvedwith his receptionist, gail
Bridges, and that they were notheaded in the direction of the
restaurant.
Little is known about Gail'slife.
Prior to her involvement withDavid, she was already married
and had children of her own.
Gail was a secretary at David'sorthodontist office, which put
(25:27):
her in regular, close contactwith him.
Over time, their professionalrelationship turned romantic.
Gail was smitten, as Clara was,when she first met David.
He would take Gail to expensivedinners and on trips.
He even brought her to theHilton Hotel in Nassau Bay where
he and Clara had celebratedtheir wedding.
Their relationship was anythingbut casual.
(25:48):
It had the emotional intensityof a full-blown romance, and the
news of all this made thebetrayal even more devastating
for Clara.
This news put her into anunraveling state and she pulled
David's daughter, lindsay, intowhat would become her own
personal investigation.
Clara confided in her that shehired a private investigator and
(26:09):
that she didn't believe Davidwas ending the affair.
She asked Lindsay to help hermonitor her dad's whereabouts.
Such an unusual ask of ateenager and a cruel position
for Lindsay to be put in.
Lindsay was conflicted.
She wanted to stay loyal to herfather, but also unable to
shield Clara from the truth.
Despite her conflicted feelings, she obliged.
(26:32):
She wanted to provide emotionalsupport, and so together they
tried to track his whereabouts.
They checked Gail's house,expecting to find David's truck
in the garage, but it wasn'tthere.
Then they went to therestaurant, circling the parking
lot in hopes of spotting histruck.
It was then that Clara receiveda call from the private
investigator that Dale and Dale.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Dale, which is you know, it's like Brangelina, you
know yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
You know when you read something you're like what?
Now that David and Gail werechecked into the Hilton Hotel,
the exact hotel where 10 yearsearlier, like I said, they had
their wedding reception.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Disgusting.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Piece of shitty shit.
Lindsay agreed to provide thatemotional support but
unknowingly walked into whatwould be the most traumatic day
of her life.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Oh dear.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
But before we get too much further into that, we've
got a chart note Note Note.
Welcome to the chart notesegment, where we learn about
what's happening in medicine andhealthcare.
You may be thinking to yourself, amanda, when are we going to
(27:52):
get to the medical aspect?
Does the dentist stab him withher tools?
No patients harmed.
This is so different, andyou're right.
This one's different and theonly real medical tie is that
she was a dentist and he was anorthodontist.
So, with that said, now I'mgoing to learn you some cool
things that are actuallyhappening in the dental world,
and so shout out to my friend,bree, who helped provide me with
(28:16):
some excellent resources for myresearch.
Thank you, bree.
Bree is a badass woman.
She's a recruiter for PacificDental Services.
Badass woman, she's a recruiterfor Pacific Dental Services,
pds, and PDS has over 1000dental practices nationwide, and
I have actually personally beena patient of PDS in the past.
So has Adam, and we wereextremely impressed with the
(28:38):
care we received.
So if you are looking fordental care, look them up.
We went to the one in Eden,prairie, nice.
I think so, yeah, they're great.
So anyway, let's learn somecool stuff.
Did you know that about half ofAmerican adults have some form
of gum disease and don't evenrealize it.
(28:59):
A far greater percentage don'teven realize how important it is
for your overall health.
Research shows that there is astrong connection between your
oral health and your overallhealth.
If you have a family history orsymptoms of certain health
problems, the presence ofgingivitis or periodontal gum
disease are cause forsignificant concern.
(29:20):
Gum disease is a chronicinflammatory condition with
links to heart health, diabetes,alzheimer's disease, pregnancy
complications, cancer and more.
Wow, poor oral hygiene, chronicdiseases, stress, smoking,
nutritional factors andenvironmental influences can
trigger an immune response whichmay lead to the breakdown of
(29:43):
gum tissue surrounding yourteeth.
This is referred to as themouth-body connection and why
your oral health is so important.
Your oral health can now beassessed by active matrix.
Oh gosh, dang it, jenna.
I always look up how to saythese things and then it gets to
the day.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Metalloproteinase.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Yes, metalloproteinase, you're so
smart.
Okay, let me like rewind activematrix, metalloproteinase eight
, or we will call it ammp8.
I asked her, like do you guysjust call it amp8 for like short
, because that's what my brainwants to do?
And she said no.
So to stay true to the dentalworld, I will call it AMMP8.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Good for you.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
So yeah, thank you, just trying to be respectful to
our colleagues out there, youknow.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
But I mean, I think AMP8 would be a great name for,
like you know, like an indieband.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Well for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yeah, I love it, amp8 .
So AMMP8 is an enzyme releasedprimarily by neutrophils that
play a key role in breaking downcollagen, especially type one
collagen, which is a majorcomponent of the connective
tissue in the gums and the bones.
In health conditions, ammp8 ismostly active.
(31:01):
Where there's inflammation,like with gum disease, it
becomes active and startsbreaking down tissue.
Inflammation like with gumdisease, it becomes active and
starts breaking down tissue.
Elevated levels of active AMMP8are a sign of ongoing tissue
destruction due to inflammation.
What is this and why is itimportant?
An AMMP8 screening is completedchairside.
Usually a saliva sample or amouth rinse is collected, and in
(31:23):
some cases a sample is takendirectly from the gingival
crevicular fluid, which is fluidfrom the gum pocket.
A point-of-care test, similarto a pregnancy or COVID test,
uses a dipstick or a strip thatdetects levels of active AMMP8.
Test results are given withinminutes.
(31:43):
A positive result indicatesactive periodontal breakdown,
even if traditional signs likedeep pockets or bleeding aren't
obvious yet.
And while AMMP8 tests areprimarily used for oral health,
the enzyme's activity is linkedto broader systemic inflammation
.
Elevated AMMP8 levels can beassociated with cardiovascular
(32:04):
disease.
So chronic inflammation in thegums may reflect, or.
So chronic inflammation in thegums may reflect or contribute
to inflammation in the vascularsystem.
Diabetes Diabetics often havehigher AMP8 levels due to poor
immune response and increasedinflammation Pregnancy
complications Some researchlinks high AMP8 levels with risk
(32:26):
for preterm birth due toinflammatory responses in the
uterus.
Autoimmune disorders, diseaseslike rheumatoid arthritis or
lupus may also show elevatedAMMP8 levels due to systemic
inflammation.
Evidence shows that if you haveperiodontal disease, you are at
greater risk of both toothdecay and oral cancer.
(32:48):
Four and a half times morelikely to suffer from stroke and
2.6 times more likely todevelop Alzheimer's disease.
Two to three times more likelyto suffer from a heart attack
and have a higher risk ofcardiovascular disease and
low-grade inflammation.
24 to 35% more likely todevelop plaque in your coronary
arteries and more likely to haveinflammation in your major
(33:11):
arteries, especially in the neckand heart.
You are at greater risk ofchronic lung infections and
influenza, at greater risk fordiabetes and pancreatic cancer
and at greater risk forpregnancy complications.
As mentioned, preterm birth andalso low birth weight, and men
are three times more likely tosuffer from erectile dysfunction
(33:32):
.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Listen, if there's any one way to get men to floss
their teeth.
I think it's your last point,Am I right?
I mean compelling argument,right there.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Sorry, carry on, that's so funny.
So while AMMP8 testing itselfdoesn't diagnose these
conditions directly, it mayserve as an early warning sign
of broader inflammatory orimmune issues.
Broader inflammatory or immuneissues.
(34:10):
And okay, I know that we are indental land and I really tried
to stay true to that.
But I really had to make aquick plug for audiology.
I love that so much, you guys,because I also don't think it's
widely known.
You know, oral health has thisbody connection, but so does
audiology, you guys.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
So again, I won't go too deep because we have to get
back to the story, but changesin your hearing or balance can
also signal early stages ofvarious non-ear related
conditions, such as number oneneurological disorders.
Sudden or progressive hearingloss can sometimes be the first
symptom of MS, acoustic neuroma,parkinson's disease,
(34:49):
alzheimer's disease and auditoryprocessing disorders.
Number two cardiovascularhealth.
The inner ear is highlysensitive to blood flow, so
low-frequency hearing loss canbe an early marker of
cardiovascular disease andstudies show a link between
hearing loss and stroke risk,likely due to shared vascular
and circulatory factors.
Number three diabetes.
(35:11):
Diabetics are more prone tosensorineural hearing loss.
Chronic high blood sugarsdamages those small blood
vessels and the nerves,including those in the cochlea.
It's so little everyone forgetsabout it.
We can't forget about thecochlea.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
I know she's so tiny, she's a little.
Everyone forgets about it.
We can't forget about thecochlea.
I know she's so tiny, she's alittle babe.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Number four genetic or syndromic conditions.
Hearing loss may be the firstsign in conditions like Usher
syndrome, wardenburg syndromeand Allport syndrome.
Number five vestibulardisorders and balance.
Dizziness or vertigo makessignal concussions or TBI,
vestibular migraines, autoimmunedisorders and Meniere's disease
(35:51):
.
Number six, the last one, Ipromise Cognitive decline and
dementia.
I cannot tell you how manytimes I have counseled patients
on this.
There is such a strong linkbetween untreated hearing loss
and an increased risk ofdementia.
Hearing loss may reducecognitive load capacity or cause
social isolation, bothcontributing to cognitive
(36:14):
decline.
Some researchers considerhearing loss a modifiable risk
for dementia.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Amen, sister Amen.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yes, say it louder for those in the back.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Okay, I know and I love it.
Patients are like okay, but myhearing loss is, you know,
normal for my age?
I'm like, hearing loss isn'tnormal, you can do something
about it, and here's how andhere's why.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Yeah, I used to always tell people the youngest
person I fit with hearing lossor with hearing aids was five
weeks old.
Okay, it doesn't matter how oldyou are.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
It doesn't.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I feel like when you start talking about the
cognitive decline though, peopleare more like, oh okay.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
But I don't know.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
If they're ready, they're ready.
If they're not, they're notAnyway.
I don't do that anymore.
So ha, ha ha.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You're lucky.
You work with just kids, kiddobabies.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Okay, back to teeth.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Back to the chompers.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
And back to the story .
Things are about to get wild,so buckle up.
But it's also going to get soso sad.
Okay, okay, I know, all right,okay.
So it's july 24th 2002 andclara and lindsey showed up at
the hotel in nassau bay.
Clara pulled right up to thedoor.
(37:40):
She recalled I wanted to findhim.
Yeah it.
Blue Moon investigators were atthe hotel when Clara and Lindsay
arrived.
Bobby and team tried to talkClara down.
When she arrived at the hotel,knowing that David was inside
with Gail, clara searched thehotel, restaurant and even the
bathrooms.
She was described as veryemotional and devastated.
(38:04):
Clara was unraveling.
She was fueled by rage andheartbreak.
She asked Lindsay to call herdad and make up a story that one
of the twins was sick and thatDavid needed to come home right
away.
He answered and agreed that hewould, and the scene that
unfolded was a surreal collisionof love, vengeance and
unrelenting grief.
(38:25):
Vengeance and unrelenting grief.
Clara was in the lobby when theelevator doors revealed David
and Gail inside holding hands,and Clara lost it, lunging at
Gail, she was screaming and sheslapped Gail, and the Blue Moon
investigators again on the scene, caught all this on tape.
Security broke up the two womenand escorted Clara and Lindsay
(38:48):
out, but she was far from done.
She had realized that Gail musthave driven them to the hotel
and that in that moment, all shecould think of was that she
needed to stop Gail's SUV fromtaking David home with her.
In the parking lot she waited,with Lindsay in the car.
She then saw David and Gailexit the hotel.
She drove at Gail and David.
(39:09):
She circled the lot once, twiceand on the third pass she
accelerated that motherfuckingMercedes-Benz and she ran over
David.
He was hit.
Oh no, he was hit with enoughforce that his body dislodged
from his shoes and he was killedinstantly.
(39:30):
Oh my gosh, his body was leftcrumpled in the parking lot, his
white shirt soaked in blood,just outside the hotel where
they had once celebrated theirunion.
Oh, lindsey, in horror,witnessed the entire thing.
Oh no, it was not only lindseywho witnessed this tragic event,
but blue moon surveillance wasstill on scene, and their
(39:54):
footage would later play acrucial role in securing clara's
conviction.
Gail bridges was also rightthere, only feet away,
witnessing the entire thing.
16 year old lindsey was the onewho called 9-1-1.
Oh, that poor, poor child.
She was in the front passengerseat of her car when her father
was killed.
She called in a panic anddevastated state, obviously
(40:16):
sobbing, trying to explain whathad just happened.
The call has never publiclybeen released in full, but it
was described during the trialas emotional, hysterical and
gut-wrenching.
She was crying and screaming.
She told the dispatcher thather stepmother had just run over
her dad.
She pleaded for for help,sounding disoriented and
traumatized.
(40:37):
Her voice cracked as she triedto explain everything and
lindsey repeated to thedispatcher over and over she ran
over my dad, she ran over mydad.
Police responded quickly to thescene at the hilton hotel.
Clara was still on the scenewhen officers arrived.
She made no attempt at fleeing,which is great.
Witnesses described her asdistraught.
(40:58):
Yeah, she was immediately takeninto custody without resisting
arrest.
Her car, that silverMercedes-Benz, showed clear
evidence of the collision.
Clara was charged with murder,not manslaughter, due to the
severity of the act.
She had circled around and hithim, which prosecutors would
later argue showed intent.
Her trial was dramatic,emotional and heavily publicized
(41:24):
.
It was a tragic act of ragethat was one of the most talked
about murder cases of the early2000s and her trial was held in
Harris County, texas, fromJanuary to February of 2003.
There were key witnesses andevidence that were used in the
trial Lindsay's testimony,gail's testimony and the footage
captured by Blue Moon.
(41:44):
I mean, it's pretty hard toargue your way out of a video.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Prosecutor Mike Anderson argued that Clara's act
was intentional and vengeful,seeking a murder conviction.
They argued that Clara's actwas intentional and vengeful,
seeking a murder conviction.
They argued that Clara'scircling of the car three times
before hitting David showeddeliberation, not a sudden
emotional outburst.
The footage from the PI clearlyshowed the incident and it was
played in court.
Hotel staff and bystanderstestified that Clara was enraged
(42:12):
and violent.
Defense attorney George Parnumdefended Clara, arguing it was a
crime of passion and notpremeditated murder.
It was a spontaneous emotionalreaction driven by love and
betrayal.
He argued she had no criminalrecord or history of aggression.
Character witnesses for Claraincluded friends of family who
(42:33):
testified that she was a devotedwife and mother, never prone to
violence.
Lindsay testified against Claraduring the trial.
She described in detail howClara had involved her in
uncovering the affair, how theyhad gone together to spy on
David and what she saw thatnight in the Hilton parking lot.
Lindsay said that Clara hadasked her to come with her to
(42:56):
catch David.
She described that they arrivedat the hotel where Clara
confronted her dad and Gail,that Clara slapped Gail in front
of the hotel staff and guestsand she was escorted out.
She was then in the passengerseat of the car where Clara
drove around the parking lotmultiple times.
She testified that Clara wasscreaming and crying.
(43:17):
She stated that Claradeliberately drove the car
towards her dad and ran him over.
She then stated that shecircled around again and ran him
over more than once.
I did see conflicting researchon that, so I don't know.
Either way.
She killed him with her car.
Lindsay said that she wasterrified and begged her to stop
.
She said she hit him, she justhit him and he was gone.
(43:38):
She broke down in tears duringher testimony.
Her testimony and the 911recording were crucial evidence.
The entirety of the call wasplayed during the trial,
bringing many tears in thecourtroom.
It was a gut-wrenchingrecording and Lindsay answered
questions under oath aboutClara's behavior before and
after the confrontation at theHilton, the events in the lobby,
(44:00):
what happened after.
You know da-da-da, the wholething.
Her involvement was justheartbreaking.
She was a teenager pulled intoa web of adult betrayal and it
shouldn't have happened.
She was asked to choose betweenloyalty to her father and the
woman that raised her.
So that's that's horrible.
(44:21):
Gail was also a key witness inthe trial.
She testified about the fair,their time at the Hilton and the
confrontation.
Her testimony helped theprosecution establish motive and
the emotional context forClara's actions.
Prosecution established motiveand the emotional context for
Clara's actions and on February14, 2003, she received her
(44:45):
verdict and sentencing the daycruelly ironic as this was David
and Clara's wedding anniversary.
Clara heard the words.
We, the jury, find the defendant, clara L Harris, guilty of
murder as charged in theindictment.
Clara was convicted of murderand sentenced to 20 years in
prison and fined $10,000.
The jury spared her a lifesentence, perhaps moved by the
raw pain and humiliation thatshe was so evidently was
(45:07):
consumed by.
Additionally, she did not havea criminal history.
So they took that intoconsideration.
And you might be thinking butonly 20 years?
She freaking, killed him, right?
Yeah, so she was found guiltyof murder.
But there is a legaldistinction in Texas, that when
it occurs with sudden passion,the severity of sentence is
(45:28):
reduced.
So she fell into that category.
She was sent to the MountainView Unity in Gatesville, texas,
and in prison she reportedlykept to herself.
She was a model inmate.
Her time spent was quiet.
She's working, participating ineducational programs.
She taught GED classes andhelped fellow inmates.
(45:49):
She never denied what she haddone, but maintained that it was
not premeditated.
She never denied what she haddone, but maintained that it was
not premeditated.
After her conviction, herlicense was effectively revoked,
as Texas law prohibits felonsfrom holding a professional
license.
The Texas State Board of DentalExaminers does not appear to
(46:14):
have issued a publicdisciplinary report beyond what
was required, as the convictionitself was grounds for automatic
revocation.
After the trial, gail facedintense public scrutiny.
She was viewed by some as theother woman who helped unravel a
marriage, and by others as avictim who had narrowly escaped
being killed herself.
She kept a very low profilefollowing the trial.
As of the latest availableinformation, she is believed to
be living privately in Texas,away from the media spotlight.
(46:37):
Her marriage reportedly endedafter the affair became public
and she has avoided pressinterviews ever since.
After the trial, lindsaydisappeared from public view.
It is believed that she livedwith her biological mother
following the events.
She was just a teenager,thrushashed into national
spotlight by a nightmare that nochild should have to witness.
(46:57):
The emotional scars she enduredfrom watching her father die
and seeing her stepmother, whoshe trusted, become his killer,
are unimaginable.
She has never spoke publiclyagain of the trial, but had sent
a statement in when decliningto appear on Oprah's show a few
years after the trial had ended.
The statement reads from theday this event occurred I've
(47:22):
tried to avoid doing anything tocommercialize or promote the
story of my dad's tragic murder.
The person who murdered my dad,unfortunately has not exercised
the same restraint.
Clara has appeared in print andon television to persuade the
viewers that she is actually thevictim, but she is no victim.
What she did was the ultimateact of selfishness, caring only
about obtaining revenge andthinking not one bit about how
(47:44):
her horrible act was going toaffect me or my brothers, brian
and Bradley.
Anyone who shared my ride inthe car that evening, seeing my
dad's face as he was about to behit and experiencing the
(48:04):
horrible feel of the car bumpingover his body, would understand
that this murderess deserves nosympathy.
Clara and David's twin boyswere only three years out of the
public eye for obvious privacyreasons, especially considering
the circumstances surroundingtheir father's death and
mother's incarceration.
They were raised by Claire'sclosest friends, anna and Pat,
who, coincidentally, also hadtwin boys of their own, and they
(48:27):
were the same age.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
Anna said in an interview when the boys were six
that they were doing well inschool and were very intelligent
.
They knew that their dad was inheaven and would often ask
questions like what is dad doingin heaven?
Can he see us?
They would ask about their mom,who they miss terribly.
And, again, little public infoabout them.
(48:49):
Today.
They would be in their late 20sand they have never made a
public statement or participatedin interviews.
After serving 15 years, clarawas granted parole release on
May 11th 2018 and was quietlyreleased in 2019.
She has since lived out of thepublic eye, avoiding interviews
and media attention.
(49:10):
She was released from parole inFebruary of 2023 and reportedly
still lives in Texas, but afarfrom the polished life that she
once shared with David.
There's no public record of herever attempting to try and
regain her license to practicedentistry after her release.
This, like I said earlier, wasa highly publicized case.
(49:34):
Uh, early 2000s, I definitelywas not watching the news, so,
uh, I didn't.
Had not heard about this before, but there are so, so so many
resources out there.
I didn't have time to order abook, um, but there is a book
titled out of control, writtenby Stephen Long, published in
2004.
Um, this case was profiled onOxygen Network series.
(49:57):
Apparently it was on Snapped in2004, abc News 2020, on
Discovery Deadly Women in 2010.
I mean, like I said, I didn'tuse any of these personally, but
there's so much moreinformation about this case, so
if you are like me and had notheard of it and you want to
learn more about it, um, there'splenty to find out there.
(50:19):
So this, this, uh, this oneserves as cautionary tale, guys,
how intense emotions,particulars, particularly
jealousy, betrayal and rage, candrive people to commit
irreversible acts.
Yikes, unchecked emotions,turmoil, especially in the
context of infidelity andmarital breakdown, can escalate
(50:40):
into tragic violence.
And I believe it also serves asa reminder of the consequences
of taking justice into one'shands and the importance of
seeking healthier ways to copewith personal crises.
Obviously, murder's not theanswer.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
Had you heard of this case before?
Speaker 1 (51:07):
No, I had not heard of this and I was not expecting
this.
Wow, Um so tragic on so manylevels, in least of which is why
did they call theirorthodontics and dental combined
practice space center?
Speaker 2 (51:19):
I don't know that was .
I didn't get that one.
I definitely reread that acouple times.
Speaker 1 (51:24):
Um, and how did we get from?
I'm sorry, I kissed her handtoo.
Well, yeah, we're having sexthree times a day.
Um, yeah, and then I be mad atthe guy, not the woman Also,
yeah, but roping the teenagerinto this.
That poor baby, that poor sweetbaby angel, should never have
(51:49):
been brought into this in anycapacity, and I hope she's
living her best life right now,um, and knows that her dad is
looking down from heaven andsmiling on her.
But what a horrible, horrible I.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
I think the thing that got me the most was that um
statement that she had sent tooprah.
It was like that she had to seehis face before he was hit and
that she was had to feel thebump of the car right in a
moment like how do you move pastthat?
Speaker 1 (52:20):
a lot of therapy yeah , I, I don't think you ever do,
and, uh, that's horrible, that'sabsolutely unimaginable.
Um, and so it.
It just not only did it take ina man who, yeah, he was a
cheating bastard, but he didn'tdeserve to be murdered, it took
(52:41):
his life and it forever changedso many people's lives as a
result of her not being able tocontrol her rage, slash,
jealousy.
So just very, very tragic.
I feel like she got off light,um, you know, 15 years, and then
(53:01):
she gets to just live and he'sdead.
Um, I hope that her twins areare living their best life and
able to, you know, somehow, Ithink, reconcile what happened
with their mom I think they'relike connected with her still.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
I was reading some articles that like they
reconnected after she wasreleased.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
So sad that's so sad on so many levels and she just,
I don't know it's like.
I feel like from the beginningshe set up to try and and just
win everybody over by being thebest that she could be and when
it didn't work out, somebodyquote unquote rejected her.
She was doing everything shecould and he picked somebody
(53:44):
else.
She just shouldn't have thecoping mechanisms to handle it
Not that I blame her, but itjust goes to show that mental
health is so important and, uh,we all need a therapist, Uh, so,
wow.
Well, thank you for forbringing that to light.
That was fascinating.
You did a wonderful job.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Thank you, um.
So I do have a medical mishap.
That was sent to me, um.
It was asked to be sharedanonymously.
I do know this person listensto our podcast every week, so we
will just say thank you forlistening, um, and we love you,
(54:25):
um.
So again, story sentanonymously, but it is also
dental related.
Nice, um.
And so it reads I used to workat a dental office where one of
my favorite coworkers was adental assistant at the time
whose first language was notEnglish.
He was kind, hardworking andalways brought great energy to
the team.
(54:45):
But names names were hisnemesis.
Names are hard, yeah, names arehard.
He'd often get flustered tryingto remember if he should call
the patient's first name ortheir last name.
The rest of us got used to hismix-ups and, honestly, they
became a bright spot in theworkday.
His cheerful attitude andunintentional slips gave us
(55:06):
endless laughs, alwaysgood-natured and never
mean-spirited.
But there was one moment thatstill lives in legend.
I can't wait.
We had a patient named Claricethat day.
He walked into the waiting room, glanced at the chart and, with
full confidence, called outClitoris.
No one moved Undeterred.
(55:33):
He raised his voice and said,with his whole chest, clitoris.
The vibe was definitelyuncomfortable, especially for
clarice.
Some bursts into uncontrollablelaugh, as you would, and it was
one of those perfect,accidental moments that made an
(55:54):
ordinary day unforgettable and areminder of how laughter can
bond us, even across languagebarriers.
Speaker 1 (56:02):
Oh, thank you, Anonymous, for that.
I want to know how they cameout of that.
He went back and went.
Well, there's no clitoris inthe lobby, be like.
Well, regardless, let's try forthe name this time, not the
body part.
I'm sorry, clarice.
She's like seriously, I have toadmit to that can you imagine
(56:28):
having to be the like?
Speaker 2 (56:29):
if that is what happened?
He was like I don't know.
They're not here and you haveto go out and be like clarice.
I'm so sorry.
Um, please excuse our friend oh, I do have.
Speaker 1 (56:40):
I had a tiny medical mishap along these lines today.
I didn't have my glasses on, soI have a problem like looking
in the distance, like things areblurry.
So, um, we are waiting for thisnewborn to check in for a test
and I had a student who wassupposed to take them back and I
was like, are you sure thatthey're not out there?
(57:01):
And he's like I don't know.
And I said, okay, let me golook in the lobby Because it was
past their check-in time.
So I looked out in the lobbyand I saw this elderly couple
who were what I thought was theywere facing like a stroller or
pram that was facing them andthey were making faces at this
baby.
Speaker 2 (57:17):
A pram.
I mean, I know what that isfrom books I read, but maybe
tell our listeners yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:22):
So you know, a pram is a stroller that it's flat,
that has like a lid on it, thebuggy top, anyway.
So they're looking.
Speaker 2 (57:29):
A lid.
Speaker 1 (57:30):
Anyway, they were making faces in the stroller and
I was like I think there's anewborn out there.
Go and call your patient.
So he went out to call thisnewborn and nobody answered and
came back in and he goes um, Ineed you to come out here and
explain what you just saw.
So I went out and I was like,yeah, these elderly people were
looking in a stroller at a baby.
(57:51):
Um, it was an elderly.
I walked closer so I could seebetter.
It was an elderly couple thathad a walker in front of them
and there was a dog.
Speaker 2 (58:04):
It was a dog on the walker that they were making
faces at Cute little, some kindof spaniel, and he goes.
Speaker 1 (58:13):
Is that who you think your newborn patient is?
It's perhaps, but what wasfunnier is that I made him go
out there and actually call thisbaby's name, and these were the
only two people in the lobby.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
He's like you wackadoo.
There's no stroller, there's nopram out there.
Speaker 1 (58:34):
This is the only time I've ever confused a
four-legged animal for one of mypatients.
Speaker 2 (58:39):
Yeah, wow.
Speaker 1 (58:40):
Yeah, I mean you got to wear your glasses and you got
to check your pronunciation.
You got to do it Me thinks yeah, but listen, when I go out to
the lobby, I count on havingshoes that are comfortable,
amanda.
Yeah, I mean having shoes thatare comfortable, amanda.
Speaker 2 (58:56):
Yeah, I mean, you do more stand-in, I do more
drive-in.
So tell me about shoes.
Speaker 1 (59:00):
I mean, I'm on my feet all day long and I need
some shoes that are built forthat.
And let me just tell you, standPlus Shoes at Standcom are
built for anyone on their feetall day long, whether they're
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They were founded by Rob Gregg,who was a postal worker that
(59:22):
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(59:42):
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(01:00:08):
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With promo code STAYSUSPICIOUSthat's stanchoescom with promo
code STAYSUSPICIOUS Excellent.
Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
Okay, jenna.
What can we expect to hear nextweek?
Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
Well, next week I have a case of an alternative
healthcare so-called guru.
You will need to decide if youthink he's a a guru or a be gone
.
Um, but also, uh, toxic vitamin.
So, um, yeah, Okay, it's goingto be a doozy.
Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
I'll be looking forward to that.
Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
Um, but until then, don't miss a beat.
Subscribe or follow doctoringthe truth wherever you enjoy
your podcasts for stories thatshock, intrigue and educate.
Trust, after all, is a delicatething.
(01:01:10):
Email us your medical mishapsat doctoringthetruth, at gmail,
and be sure to follow us onInstagram, at
doctoringthetruthpodcast, orFacebook at doctoringthetruth,
or TikTok at doctoringthetruth,or at oddpod.
Don't forget to download,download rate and review.
(01:01:34):
Please rate and review, even ifyou know.
Just just basically hit fivestars and write something nice.
It means a lot, it doesn't costyou anything, just takes you a
few seconds.
We just need this so we can besure to be be here to be able to
bring you more content nextweek.
So until then, stay safe andstay suspicious, stay suspicious
(01:01:56):
.
Hello Amanda Jenna Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
How are you?
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
How are you Good?
But tell me how's your puppy?
I heard she had to go to thedoctor.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Yeah, she's okay.
She just got a little case ofthe sickness, but she'll be good
, poor little thing.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
I mean, it's that time of year.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Little thing Keeping mama it's that time of year
Little thing Keeping mama on hertoes.
Right, they're worth it thoughright Fitting, yeah, oh yeah,
did you have a good Mother's Day?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I did, I had a little brunch action, had a little
gardening.
How about you?
Oh my gosh, how's yourgardening coming along.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
We had the same exact day actually, really.
We took mom to brunch, yeah,and then we went and bought some
plants and we planted them allin her planters.
She has these big, huge, raisedtwo huge flower garden beds in
the backyard, so got those allset up with some flowers.
(01:06):
Oh, you're such a good daughter.
Oh, thank you, it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, well, I think she had a good day.
I got my mom some cozy earthpajamas.
She almost tried them on in therestaurant, which was super
funny, because she was likegoing to the bathroom and she's
still clutching her present withher pajamas in it, and my dad
was like, are you trying this onhere?
She's like oh, no, no, no, no,I'll wait till I get home.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
No, I guess you can hold them.
It was so cute.
Oh well, I'm glad she lovedthem.
Happy Mother's Day to all ourmama listeners.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Yeah to anyone who's ever mothered anything, whether
it be a plant anything an aminal, a boyfriend I don't know, just
saying yeah humans, fur babies,heaven babies, all the baby
Right.
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
All righty, I see you have a correction section.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I do have a correction section.
So I was talking aboutcannabis-induced psychosis for
those of you who listened to thelast episode and I decided that
I knew what a matic was,because somebody went psycho and
killed somebody with a maticand I decided it was this big
like caveman club with likespikes on it.
(02:30):
I just totally made that up.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
It's actually I mean, when you said it, though, I was
like, obviously she's right,that is what it is if you're
gonna make a mistake, do it withconviction, then people will
believe you matter.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
But anyway, I did look it up.
After the fact, it's a pickaxe,so nowhere I mean it's not any
better that this is whatsomebody was beaten with, but um
I feel like that, almost feelsworse.
No, I know let's not think aboutit too much.
Um.
And then the other one was Iwas wondering where, what the
(03:03):
name of the drug was, wherepeople would go to have these
psychedelic experiences, wherethey like dig deep into their
psyches and hopefully changeforever and they go off into the
Amazon or whatever.
And I couldn't think of thename other than, like I don't
know, some kind of mushroom orpeyote or something.
It's ayahuasca.
So I I woke up one day and Ijust went ayahuasca.
(03:30):
So it's a South Americanpsychoactive beverage
traditionally used by indigenouscultures and folk healers in
the Amazon and Orinoco basinsfor spiritual ceremonies,
divination and a healing of avariety of psychosomatic
complaints.
But if you have a, you know,mental illness or predisposition
for um addiction and that sortof thing, this would not be good
(03:52):
for you.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
So anyway, that's what I was thinking of in the
last episode.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
But happy sweet 16, what do?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
we got today.
I know we're getting so old,look at us driving cars and
things yeah, um, well, before Itell you what we're doing, um,
I'd had a little bit of businessto cover, so jenna created a
youtube page for doctoring thetruth.
(04:22):
She was hard working on this onthe weekend.
Y'all, the page has a poll thatwe would love for you guys to
take.
The poll is what should ourlisteners be called?
And the options includetruthologists, alley cats, dr
(04:52):
Reno's and DTT patients.
Um, I voted, I tried to sharethe poll or the page on our
socials so that it would be easyfor you guys to click on, but
it did not allow me to do that,so I need to.
I mean, there's probably a way.
I just need to look more intothat, but you heard it here
first.
There is a poll on youtube pagedoctoring the truth.
Um, for what y'all should becalled.
I'm not gonna bias anyone, butI feel very partial to one yeah,
(05:16):
I'm curious.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Um, I did vote, uh, so we'll just have to see what
our fans want to be called canyou see who voted for?
Speaker 2 (05:23):
what did you?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
see what I voted for no, it's, it's anonymous, so
don't worry yep, do you think wevoted for the same one?
Maybe because they're not thatmany votes.
We gotta get it, we gotta get.
Actually, the youtube page islike.
I'm working on it, it's, it'suh, it's a little bit harder to
access than I'd hope.
So give us your feedback ifyou're having trouble, because
(05:46):
you know I'll keep working onhow to make this easier to
access or I'll find a youngerperson to help me.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I'll find a child that ain't going to be me.
You guys, Maybe we can askMallory to help us.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, she's so smart.
I know we need a social mediamanager.
Feel free to apply, but don'tapply on social media.
We won't find it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Also, there is no pay .
We're doing this for the heartof it, baby It'll be
philanthropic.
That's right, For sure yesexactly, Put it on your resume
your philanthropic work.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Community service.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, community service.
Okay, yeah, yes, anyway, let's,let's move along.
Then, on that note, um, theonly trigger warning for this
episode is infidelity, so ifthat's a sore spot for you, just
know it's going to be writtenthroughout the story.
Um, okay, and actually, beforewe jump, jump, jump jump into
(06:50):
that, um, can I tell you howimportant strong coffee company
was to my life today?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
tell me about it well , it's a monday it's monday
naturally we record on mondays.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Um lord almighty, I actually like I wasn't that
tired today but the warm sun onmy drive home.
I needed a boost when I gothome yeah so hit up that uh,
strong coffee company, andstrong coffee company delivers
that premium instant blend forpeople who want convenience
hello convenience withoutsacrificing their health.
(07:23):
Um, I mean, jenna knows I wasjust chopping up peppers before
we started doing this so we'retrying to stay healthy, but
we're trying to get the benefits.
Yeah, their signature blackinstant coffee packs 15 grams of
protein, 5 grams mcts and 250milligrams of adaptogens, like
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(07:44):
the jitters, because we've allhad the coffee jitters right.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Mm-hmm yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
No, Prefer creamy, no problem.
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Just think if I didn't havethat before doing this.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Right, you nailed it.
You're doing great.
You're doing great.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
You know, thank you, thank you.
I'm just gonna take a littlesip of water here before we jump
into our story.
So sorry, if you guys can hearthat, jenna will edit it out.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Hydration it's important.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Okay, are you ready?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
for this one.
I am so ready.
I'm excited for this one okay,here we go.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Uh, my resources that I used will be listed in the
show notes, all right.
Clara suarez grew up in bogota,colombia, a city of sharp
contrasts where wealth andpoverty lived next to each other
, but worlds apart.
Her family fell on the sidewith less.
(09:16):
Her mother was a dressmaker,sewing clothes for people of
bogota while her Aww.
That love became a shield, ananchor and a place where
violence was part of everydaylife, where gunfire and drug
trafficking were just part ofthe background noise.
Clara's father was her biggestchampion.
He always told her to look pastthe world around her to imagine
(09:37):
something better, somethingmore.
But in 1964, when Clara wasonly six years old, he passed
away.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Oh, that's horrible, I know that's so young.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
His death was a devastating loss for the family.
For Clara, it was more thanjust heartbreak.
It became a turning point.
Even as a young girl, she madea quiet promise to herself she
would live out the dreams herfather didn't get to see come
true.
Above all else, he had one wishfor her that she would go on
one day to make it to Americaand build a better life.
(10:10):
As she grew older, that wishbecame her mission.
Clara turned into anoverachiever.
She was driven and determined.
Her ambition was a true tributeto the father she had lost.
But at the same time, that lossleft a mark.
While it pushed her forward, italso quietly held her back,
stunting her psychologicaldevelopment.
(10:33):
Perfectionists often measuretheir worth not just by what
they achieve, but by how othersrespond to those achievements.
In Clara's case, her drive forperfection may have started with
a desire to impress her father,but he wasn't there to see her
successes or to offer theapproval she so deeply craved.
Without that guiding presence,her perfectionism had no limits.
(10:54):
There was no finish line.
No matter how much sheaccomplished, it never felt like
enough.
That relentless pursuit ofexcellence may have led her down
a path few dared to followDentistry.
In 1970s, colombia, dentistrywas far from a common career
choice.
In fact, in 1969, there wereonly four dental schools in the
(11:16):
entire country and very few wenton to graduate from those
programs.
The programs were intense,demanding and highly selective.
But for someone like Clara, whowas drawn to structure, rigor
and high expectations, it madesense.
The challenge wasn't andeterrent, it was an appeal.
(11:37):
By her late 20s, Clara hadearned her degree in dentistry
and opened her own practice inBogota.
It was an incredible milestonefor her.
But even with her success, onedream still lingered in the
background or maybe it was morethan a dream, perhaps it was a
promise the one her father hadalways hoped for her that she
would move to America and builda life there.
(11:58):
That dream became her nextmission.
By 1986, after years of hardwork and saving all the money
she could, clara finally hadenough money to take the leap.
She knew the road aheadwouldn't be easy.
To practice dentistry in the USshe'd need a degree from an
American school.
So she enrolled and wasaccepted at Washington
(12:19):
University in St Louis.
Four years later she graduatedand moved to Houston to complete
a one-year residency at theUniversity of Texas Dental
Branch.
In June of 1991, at the age of33, clara reached the goal she'd
been chasing for most of herlife.
She had completed her Americaneducation and was finally ready
to open a practice of her own.
(12:42):
Before taking the final step inher professional journey, clara
made an unexpected detour, onethat had nothing to do with
dentistry.
She decided to enter a localbeauty pageant.
It was a contest forColombian-born women living in
Houston, a celebration of beauty, elegance and cultural pride.
Contestants were expected torepresent not just grace and
(13:03):
poise, but also traditionalColombian values.
For Clara, the idea brought backvivid memories of the stunning
women she used to admire on thestreets of Bogota.
Stepping onto the stage wasn'tsomething that she had done
before, but, like everychallenge in her life, she
embraced it head on, and onceshe did, it was clear she
belonged there.
She did, it was clear shebelonged there With her radiant
(13:27):
red hair, captivating smile anda beauty mark on her left cheek
that made her face unforgettable.
Clara instantly stood out.
She dazzled the judges not justwith her looks, but with her
intelligence, charm and poise.
When she waved from the stageand answered their questions,
she did it with a quietconfidence that was hard to
ignore.
In the end she made, made itlook easy, just like she always
did.
That year she was crowned1991's miss columbia houston wow
(13:50):
another title, another triumphand another way.
She proved that, no matter thestage, she knew how to rise to
the top.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
That's amazing.
Is it bad that?
I was like, well, how's herteeth?
I mean, does she have, like,does she have amazing teeth?
Though, I mean, cause you're,she's gorgeous, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
She's beautiful.
Yeah, I guess, like um most ofthe pictures I saw of her online
, she's um not very happy, so Idon't actually recall if I know
what her teeth look like, butI'm sure her teeth are great.
Speaker 1 (14:20):
I'm just like picturing this like beautiful
smile with her big hair, causeyou said she had a captivating
smile and I was like, but how'sher teeth?
It must be amazing, cause she'sgoing into dentistry Um, I
don't know and she's dazzlingeveryone.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
She's dazzling Cool.
I'm going to have to see if Iactually can see a picture with
her um, with her teeth.
I'm sure they're great.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
13 because I'm sure they're great, um, but yeah,
most of the pictures I saw forshe was crying, so let's get a
little further into this.
Okay, I'm not, I don't thinkI'm gonna like where this is
going.
Okay, probably not okay, allright.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
With an american dental degree in hand and a
beauty pageant crown to her name, clara felt unstoppable.
She had climbed every mountainshe set her sights on, except
for one love.
For years, romance had taken abackseat to her ambitions.
There simply wasn't time for it.
But now, for the first time,she felt ready to open that part
(15:16):
of her heart.
She was ready to find Mr Right,and it didn't take long.
After graduation, clara accepteda position at Castle Dental
Center in Houston.
That is where she met DavidHarris, an orthodontist who had
also graduated from theUniversity of Texas Dental
Branch.
David was 33, handsome, smartand funny.
He had a five-year-old daughter, named Lindsay, from a previous
(15:39):
marriage, but the divorce wasfinalized by the time he and
Clara had crossed paths.
He was completely available andcompletely smitten.
Their connection was instantand things moved quickly.
After six months of dating,clara and David were married on
Valentine's Day in 1992 at theHilton Hotel in Nassau Bay.
It seemed like a storybookending.
(16:01):
Clara had it all a successfulcareer, a husband who adored her
and a new family to call herown, and together they built a
beautiful home in Friendswood,texas, a wealthy suburb.
From the outside, clara andDavid looked like a perfect
couple.
Whenever they were out andabout, clara could be seen on
his arm, beaming, laughing andjust completely in love.
(16:22):
And David, he wasn't just herhusband, he was her biggest
cheerleader.
When Clara told him she wantedto open a practice of her own,
he didn't hesitate.
He urged her to go for it,leave her job and chase that big
next dream.
And she did.
In the months that followed,clara poured herself into
building her own dental practice, hiring staff, building a
(16:43):
caseload and laying thegroundwork for what would become
something much bigger.
Within a year, she was ready toexpand.
In April of 1993, she boughtout the practice of a retiring
dentist in a more rural area.
It came with a brand newpatient base and even more
responsibility.
Her days were long and herschedule full, but Clara thrived
(17:03):
on the chaos.
Busyness, after all, had alwaysbeen her comfort zone.
David was inspired by hermomentum and decided to take his
own leap.
He also left Castle DangerCenter.
Castle Danger, if you're notfrom Minnesota, is a brewery.
That is not where he left.
He left Castle Dental Centerand opened his own orthodontics
(17:25):
practice, called space centerorthodontics.
With both of them now leadingtheir own clinics, the couple
made a strategic decision.
They would join forces.
On fridays, clara would visitdavid's office to see patients
and on mondays he'd do the sameat hers.
She handled the dental work andhe offered orthodontics.
It was the perfect professionalpairing and that's why I said
(17:48):
she probably had nice teethbecause she was married to an
orthodontist.
I mean, I'm sure they weregreat before that, but if not,
he could fix them.
That partnership soon becameofficial.
They became business partners,not just spouses, and over the
next several years they builtwhat many would call a dental
empire.
They owned six practices spreadacross the Houston area.
(18:11):
On paper it was a dream cometrue A thriving business, a
shared vision, a powerful coupledoing it all together.
And you know, just to add tothe chaos, clara and David
welcomed twin boys Brian andBradley into their lives in the
late 90s.
Even with the business of theircareers the busyness of their
(18:32):
careers, excuse me.
By all accounts, her childrenwere the center of her life.
Friends and acquaintancesdescribed her as a deeply
family-oriented woman, butbehind the scenes things weren't
as seamless as they seemed.
While their careers soared andtheir family grew, their
marriage began to quietlyunravel.
To outsiders, they were theembodiment of the American dream
(18:55):
.
Clara often remarked that shewas living her life that her
father had envisioned for her.
But beneath the polishedsurface, the foundation of their
marriage was eroding.
And isn't that kind of alwaysthe way, like the people that
you see?
They're like oh my god, they'reso perfect, everything's so
great.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Like Instagram polished and you're like, ooh,
there's a crack in the facade,yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
They always say like yeah, probably if you don't see
much of them online, they'reprobably happier.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
I don't know, and that's not true for everybody,
but anyway that's sad.
In 2002, after a decade ofmarriage, clara began to notice
troubling signs.
David was growing distant,emotionally unavailable and
frequently absent under theguise of work.
Emotionally unavailable andfrequently absent under the
(19:49):
guise of work.
Diana, a woman who worked inher dental office, informed her
this is Clara that she thoughtDavid was having an affair.
This fueled suspicion stirringin her heart, but Clara wanted
desperately to believe in thelove that they had built.
She thought that Diana was justtrying to destroy her marriage.
I mean, how could it be true?
It just couldn't be.
Additionally, her desire tomaintain the integrity of her
(20:11):
home life was a major reason.
She initially tried to overlookthe gut feelings Because, you
know, she had to maintain thatimage.
She couldn't shake the feelingsand confronted David.
He did admit to being.
He did admit to seeing hisreceptionist Gail, but that he
had done no more than kiss herhand, declared to Clara that he
(20:33):
would do anything to save theirmarriage.
Clara demanded that David fireGail that day and that she
wanted to go to marriagecounseling.
She also requested that he tellhis parents and their pastor.
After their discussion, clarafelt super angry and very
confused.
She went downstairs to thekitchen where her stepdaughter
Lindsay was and said there issomething that you need to know
(20:56):
about your dad.
Lindsay already knew.
She told Clara.
All the girls in the officeknow dad and Gail go for lunch
every day and this was moreinformation than david had
revealed to clara.
Oh, classic cheater.
But she frantically began allefforts to save their marriage,
taking david on a romantic dateto a piano bar.
(21:18):
And there she asked him I wantto know what is so attractive
about her?
What is the difference betweenher and me?
Clara remembers david answeringthis question that she had zero
fat.
Um, also, your wife justbirthed twins to you, douchebag.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
But okie, dokie, you pos uh, oh, blood and artery
here.
Oh my goodness, what a.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
At the piano bar.
David not only admitted tohaving sex with Gail, but they
had sex three times a day.
Clara was sick.
How could her husband be moreattracted to another woman?
How could another woman satisfyhim more than she?
She reportedly hired a personaltrainer, got a membership at a
(22:13):
tanning salon and planned tohave her hair and nails done
every day.
She even went as far as puttingdown a deposit at the plastic
surgeon's office for breastaugmentation and liposuction.
She went shopping for a newwardrobe that she felt was
sexier, and, in an effort todevote herself entirely to David
, she made the most extremesacrifice.
(22:33):
She called her office and saidthat she was retiring.
She said she was going todedicate herself to her family.
Like what Girl?
You just built this whole dreamthat your dad wanted for you
and now, because your husbandcan't keep his weenie in his own
pant, you're going to throwyour career away.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
Oh, my God, and it's not.
She's making it her fault.
She's making it her fault as if, as if, oh boy, Okay, david
agreed to break things off withGail.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, we can believe him right.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
I gail, yeah, we can believe him, right.
I mean he's, he's just gonnatell the truth, because they
always agree to your face, butanyway, um, it's honorable, okay
.
Yeah, clara wanted him to callher and end things immediately,
because we've already proventhat when I confronted you at
the house, you've only kissedher on the hand, but your
daughter knew more that you goto lunch with every day and now
(23:32):
we now we have sex three times aday.
Oh you know what.
But I mean, he said he's sorry.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Well, you know what.
You're right.
I mean, he said he's sorry,he's going to stop, so let's
drop everything and believe him.
Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 2 (23:48):
You're right, who am I?
So, as I was saying, clarawanted him to call things like
in front of her and end it, butnope, he wanted to do it in
person.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Oh, in person, and without his clothes on, probably
Truth be told.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
So sorry One more time.
Yeah, clara agreed to let himdo this and he had planned to
meet Gail at a local restaurant.
Her gut feelings were still onhigh alert, obviously.
So Clara hired a privateinvestigator Bobby Boacca Boacca
, I don't know.
Bobby, I'm so sorry To listenin on David and Gail's
(24:22):
conversation to confirm thatthey were actually ending their
relationship.
I respect it.
I would have sent a friendthere.
But whatever, bobby was awell-known figure in Texas who
ran the agency Blue MoonInvestigations.
Bobby was somewhat of a localcelebrity in the Houston area at
the time.
She was flamboyant, media savvyand known for taking on high
(24:44):
profile cases.
Clara contacted Bobby in Julyof 2002 and shared what we
already know Her husband hadbeen cheating on her and she
needed to confirm that he wasactually ending the affair.
She shared that he was takingGail to a local restaurant to
end things.
Bobby took the job and the BlueMoon investigation team was on
the case tailing David.
(25:05):
It didn't take long beforeBobby and her team confirmed
that David was indeed involvedwith his receptionist, gail
Bridges, and that they were notheaded in the direction of the
restaurant.
Little is known about Gail'slife.
Prior to her involvement withDavid, she was already married
and had children of her own.
Gail was a secretary at David'sorthodontist office, which put
(25:27):
her in regular, close contactwith him.
Over time, their professionalrelationship turned romantic.
Gail was smitten, as Clara was,when she first met David.
He would take Gail to expensivedinners and on trips.
He even brought her to theHilton Hotel in Nassau Bay where
he and Clara had celebratedtheir wedding.
Their relationship was anythingbut casual.
(25:48):
It had the emotional intensityof a full-blown romance, and the
news of all this made thebetrayal even more devastating
for Clara.
This news put her into anunraveling state and she pulled
David's daughter, lindsay, intowhat would become her own
personal investigation.
Clara confided in her that shehired a private investigator and
(26:09):
that she didn't believe Davidwas ending the affair.
She asked Lindsay to help hermonitor her dad's whereabouts.
Such an unusual ask of ateenager and a cruel position
for Lindsay to be put in.
Lindsay was conflicted.
She wanted to stay loyal to herfather, but also unable to
shield Clara from the truth.
Despite her conflicted feelings, she obliged.
(26:32):
She wanted to provide emotionalsupport, and so together they
tried to track his whereabouts.
They checked Gail's house,expecting to find David's truck
in the garage, but it wasn'tthere.
Then they went to therestaurant, circling the parking
lot in hopes of spotting histruck.
It was then that Clara receiveda call from the private
investigator that Dale and Dale.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Dale, which is you know, it's like Brangelina, you
know yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
You know when you read something you're like what?
Now that David and Gail werechecked into the Hilton Hotel,
the exact hotel where 10 yearsearlier, like I said, they had
their wedding reception.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Disgusting.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Piece of shitty shit.
Lindsay agreed to provide thatemotional support but
unknowingly walked into whatwould be the most traumatic day
of her life.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Oh dear.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
But before we get too much further into that, we've
got a chart note Note Note.
Welcome to the chart notesegment, where we learn about
what's happening in medicine andhealthcare.
You may be thinking to yourself, amanda, when are we going to
(27:52):
get to the medical aspect?
Does the dentist stab him withher tools?
No patients harmed.
This is so different, andyou're right.
This one's different and theonly real medical tie is that
she was a dentist and he was anorthodontist.
So, with that said, now I'mgoing to learn you some cool
things that are actuallyhappening in the dental world,
and so shout out to my friend,bree, who helped provide me with
(28:16):
some excellent resources for myresearch.
Thank you, bree.
Bree is a badass woman.
She's a recruiter for PacificDental Services.
Badass woman, she's a recruiterfor Pacific Dental Services,
pds, and PDS has over 1000dental practices nationwide, and
I have actually personally beena patient of PDS in the past.
So has Adam, and we wereextremely impressed with the
(28:38):
care we received.
So if you are looking fordental care, look them up.
We went to the one in Eden,prairie, nice.
I think so, yeah, they're great.
So anyway, let's learn somecool stuff.
Did you know that about half ofAmerican adults have some form
of gum disease and don't evenrealize it.
(28:59):
A far greater percentage don'teven realize how important it is
for your overall health.
Research shows that there is astrong connection between your
oral health and your overallhealth.
If you have a family history orsymptoms of certain health
problems, the presence ofgingivitis or periodontal gum
disease are cause forsignificant concern.
(29:20):
Gum disease is a chronicinflammatory condition with
links to heart health, diabetes,alzheimer's disease, pregnancy
complications, cancer and more.
Wow, poor oral hygiene, chronicdiseases, stress, smoking,
nutritional factors andenvironmental influences can
trigger an immune response whichmay lead to the breakdown of
(29:43):
gum tissue surrounding yourteeth.
This is referred to as themouth-body connection and why
your oral health is so important.
Your oral health can now beassessed by active matrix.
Oh gosh, dang it, jenna.
I always look up how to saythese things and then it gets to
the day.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Metalloproteinase.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Yes, metalloproteinase, you're so
smart.
Okay, let me like rewind activematrix, metalloproteinase eight
, or we will call it ammp8.
I asked her, like do you guysjust call it amp8 for like short
, because that's what my brainwants to do?
And she said no.
So to stay true to the dentalworld, I will call it AMMP8.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Good for you.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
So yeah, thank you, just trying to be respectful to
our colleagues out there, youknow.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
But I mean, I think AMP8 would be a great name for,
like you know, like an indieband.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Well for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Yeah, I love it, amp8 .
So AMMP8 is an enzyme releasedprimarily by neutrophils that
play a key role in breaking downcollagen, especially type one
collagen, which is a majorcomponent of the connective
tissue in the gums and the bones.
In health conditions, ammp8 ismostly active.
(31:01):
Where there's inflammation,like with gum disease, it
becomes active and startsbreaking down tissue.
Inflammation like with gumdisease, it becomes active and
starts breaking down tissue.
Elevated levels of active AMMP8are a sign of ongoing tissue
destruction due to inflammation.
What is this and why is itimportant?
An AMMP8 screening is completedchairside.
Usually a saliva sample or amouth rinse is collected, and in
(31:23):
some cases a sample is takendirectly from the gingival
crevicular fluid, which is fluidfrom the gum pocket.
A point-of-care test, similarto a pregnancy or COVID test,
uses a dipstick or a strip thatdetects levels of active AMMP8.
Test results are given withinminutes.
(31:43):
A positive result indicatesactive periodontal breakdown,
even if traditional signs likedeep pockets or bleeding aren't
obvious yet.
And while AMMP8 tests areprimarily used for oral health,
the enzyme's activity is linkedto broader systemic inflammation
.
Elevated AMMP8 levels can beassociated with cardiovascular
(32:04):
disease.
So chronic inflammation in thegums may reflect, or.
So chronic inflammation in thegums may reflect or contribute
to inflammation in the vascularsystem.
Diabetes Diabetics often havehigher AMP8 levels due to poor
immune response and increasedinflammation Pregnancy
complications Some researchlinks high AMP8 levels with risk
(32:26):
for preterm birth due toinflammatory responses in the
uterus.
Autoimmune disorders, diseaseslike rheumatoid arthritis or
lupus may also show elevatedAMMP8 levels due to systemic
inflammation.
Evidence shows that if you haveperiodontal disease, you are at
greater risk of both toothdecay and oral cancer.
(32:48):
Four and a half times morelikely to suffer from stroke and
2.6 times more likely todevelop Alzheimer's disease.
Two to three times more likelyto suffer from a heart attack
and have a higher risk ofcardiovascular disease and
low-grade inflammation.
24 to 35% more likely todevelop plaque in your coronary
arteries and more likely to haveinflammation in your major
(33:11):
arteries, especially in the neckand heart.
You are at greater risk ofchronic lung infections and
influenza, at greater risk fordiabetes and pancreatic cancer
and at greater risk forpregnancy complications.
As mentioned, preterm birth andalso low birth weight, and men
are three times more likely tosuffer from erectile dysfunction
(33:32):
.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Listen, if there's any one way to get men to floss
their teeth.
I think it's your last point,Am I right?
I mean compelling argument,right there.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Sorry, carry on, that's so funny.
So while AMMP8 testing itselfdoesn't diagnose these
conditions directly, it mayserve as an early warning sign
of broader inflammatory orimmune issues.
Broader inflammatory or immuneissues.
(34:10):
And okay, I know that we are indental land and I really tried
to stay true to that.
But I really had to make aquick plug for audiology.
I love that so much, you guys,because I also don't think it's
widely known.
You know, oral health has thisbody connection, but so does
audiology, you guys.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
So again, I won't go too deep because we have to get
back to the story, but changesin your hearing or balance can
also signal early stages ofvarious non-ear related
conditions, such as number oneneurological disorders.
Sudden or progressive hearingloss can sometimes be the first
symptom of MS, acoustic neuroma,parkinson's disease,
(34:49):
alzheimer's disease and auditoryprocessing disorders.
Number two cardiovascularhealth.
The inner ear is highlysensitive to blood flow, so
low-frequency hearing loss canbe an early marker of
cardiovascular disease andstudies show a link between
hearing loss and stroke risk,likely due to shared vascular
and circulatory factors.
Number three diabetes.
(35:11):
Diabetics are more prone tosensorineural hearing loss.
Chronic high blood sugarsdamages those small blood
vessels and the nerves,including those in the cochlea.
It's so little everyone forgetsabout it.
We can't forget about thecochlea.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
I know she's so tiny, she's a little.
Everyone forgets about it.
We can't forget about thecochlea.
I know she's so tiny, she's alittle babe.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Number four genetic or syndromic conditions.
Hearing loss may be the firstsign in conditions like Usher
syndrome, wardenburg syndromeand Allport syndrome.
Number five vestibulardisorders and balance.
Dizziness or vertigo makessignal concussions or TBI,
vestibular migraines, autoimmunedisorders and Meniere's disease
(35:51):
.
Number six, the last one, Ipromise Cognitive decline and
dementia.
I cannot tell you how manytimes I have counseled patients
on this.
There is such a strong linkbetween untreated hearing loss
and an increased risk ofdementia.
Hearing loss may reducecognitive load capacity or cause
social isolation, bothcontributing to cognitive
(36:14):
decline.
Some researchers considerhearing loss a modifiable risk
for dementia.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Amen, sister Amen.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
Yes, say it louder for those in the back.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Okay, I know and I love it.
Patients are like okay, but myhearing loss is, you know,
normal for my age?
I'm like, hearing loss isn'tnormal, you can do something
about it, and here's how andhere's why.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Yeah, I used to always tell people the youngest
person I fit with hearing lossor with hearing aids was five
weeks old.
Okay, it doesn't matter how oldyou are.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
It doesn't.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
I feel like when you start talking about the
cognitive decline though, peopleare more like, oh okay.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
But I don't know.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
If they're ready, they're ready.
If they're not, they're notAnyway.
I don't do that anymore.
So ha, ha ha.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
You're lucky.
You work with just kids, kiddobabies.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
Okay, back to teeth.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Back to the chompers.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
And back to the story .
Things are about to get wild,so buckle up.
But it's also going to get soso sad.
Okay, okay, I know, all right,okay.
So it's july 24th 2002 andclara and lindsey showed up at
the hotel in nassau bay.
Clara pulled right up to thedoor.
(37:40):
She recalled I wanted to findhim.
Yeah it.
Blue Moon investigators were atthe hotel when Clara and Lindsay
arrived.
Bobby and team tried to talkClara down.
When she arrived at the hotel,knowing that David was inside
with Gail, clara searched thehotel, restaurant and even the
bathrooms.
She was described as veryemotional and devastated.
(38:04):
Clara was unraveling.
She was fueled by rage andheartbreak.
She asked Lindsay to call herdad and make up a story that one
of the twins was sick and thatDavid needed to come home right
away.
He answered and agreed that hewould, and the scene that
unfolded was a surreal collisionof love, vengeance and
unrelenting grief.
(38:25):
Vengeance and unrelenting grief.
Clara was in the lobby when theelevator doors revealed David
and Gail inside holding hands,and Clara lost it, lunging at
Gail, she was screaming and sheslapped Gail, and the Blue Moon
investigators again on the scene, caught all this on tape.
Security broke up the two womenand escorted Clara and Lindsay
(38:48):
out, but she was far from done.
She had realized that Gail musthave driven them to the hotel
and that in that moment, all shecould think of was that she
needed to stop Gail's SUV fromtaking David home with her.
In the parking lot she waited,with Lindsay in the car.
She then saw David and Gailexit the hotel.
She drove at Gail and David.
(39:09):
She circled the lot once, twiceand on the third pass she
accelerated that motherfuckingMercedes-Benz and she ran over
David.
He was hit.
Oh no, he was hit with enoughforce that his body dislodged
from his shoes and he was killedinstantly.
(39:30):
Oh my gosh, his body was leftcrumpled in the parking lot, his
white shirt soaked in blood,just outside the hotel where
they had once celebrated theirunion.
Oh, lindsey, in horror,witnessed the entire thing.
Oh no, it was not only lindseywho witnessed this tragic event,
but blue moon surveillance wasstill on scene, and their
(39:54):
footage would later play acrucial role in securing clara's
conviction.
Gail bridges was also rightthere, only feet away,
witnessing the entire thing.
16 year old lindsey was the onewho called 9-1-1.
Oh, that poor, poor child.
She was in the front passengerseat of her car when her father
was killed.
She called in a panic anddevastated state, obviously
(40:16):
sobbing, trying to explain whathad just happened.
The call has never publiclybeen released in full, but it
was described during the trialas emotional, hysterical and
gut-wrenching.
She was crying and screaming.
She told the dispatcher thather stepmother had just run over
her dad.
She pleaded for for help,sounding disoriented and
traumatized.
(40:37):
Her voice cracked as she triedto explain everything and
lindsey repeated to thedispatcher over and over she ran
over my dad, she ran over mydad.
Police responded quickly to thescene at the hilton hotel.
Clara was still on the scenewhen officers arrived.
She made no attempt at fleeing,which is great.
Witnesses described her asdistraught.
(40:58):
Yeah, she was immediately takeninto custody without resisting
arrest.
Her car, that silverMercedes-Benz, showed clear
evidence of the collision.
Clara was charged with murder,not manslaughter, due to the
severity of the act.
She had circled around and hithim, which prosecutors would
later argue showed intent.
Her trial was dramatic,emotional and heavily publicized
(41:24):
.
It was a tragic act of ragethat was one of the most talked
about murder cases of the early2000s and her trial was held in
Harris County, texas, fromJanuary to February of 2003.
There were key witnesses andevidence that were used in the
trial Lindsay's testimony,gail's testimony and the footage
captured by Blue Moon.
(41:44):
I mean, it's pretty hard toargue your way out of a video.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Prosecutor Mike Anderson argued that Clara's act
was intentional and vengeful,seeking a murder conviction.
They argued that Clara's actwas intentional and vengeful,
seeking a murder conviction.
They argued that Clara'scircling of the car three times
before hitting David showeddeliberation, not a sudden
emotional outburst.
The footage from the PI clearlyshowed the incident and it was
played in court.
Hotel staff and bystanderstestified that Clara was enraged
(42:12):
and violent.
Defense attorney George Parnumdefended Clara, arguing it was a
crime of passion and notpremeditated murder.
It was a spontaneous emotionalreaction driven by love and
betrayal.
He argued she had no criminalrecord or history of aggression.
Character witnesses for Claraincluded friends of family who
(42:33):
testified that she was a devotedwife and mother, never prone to
violence.
Lindsay testified against Claraduring the trial.
She described in detail howClara had involved her in
uncovering the affair, how theyhad gone together to spy on
David and what she saw thatnight in the Hilton parking lot.
Lindsay said that Clara hadasked her to come with her to
(42:56):
catch David.
She described that they arrivedat the hotel where Clara
confronted her dad and Gail,that Clara slapped Gail in front
of the hotel staff and guestsand she was escorted out.
She was then in the passengerseat of the car where Clara
drove around the parking lotmultiple times.
She testified that Clara wasscreaming and crying.
(43:17):
She stated that Claradeliberately drove the car
towards her dad and ran him over.
She then stated that shecircled around again and ran him
over more than once.
I did see conflicting researchon that, so I don't know.
Either way.
She killed him with her car.
Lindsay said that she wasterrified and begged her to stop
.
She said she hit him, she justhit him and he was gone.
(43:38):
She broke down in tears duringher testimony.
Her testimony and the 911recording were crucial evidence.
The entirety of the call wasplayed during the trial,
bringing many tears in thecourtroom.
It was a gut-wrenchingrecording and Lindsay answered
questions under oath aboutClara's behavior before and
after the confrontation at theHilton, the events in the lobby,
(44:00):
what happened after.
You know da-da-da, the wholething.
Her involvement was justheartbreaking.
She was a teenager pulled intoa web of adult betrayal and it
shouldn't have happened.
She was asked to choose betweenloyalty to her father and the
woman that raised her.
So that's that's horrible.
(44:21):
Gail was also a key witness inthe trial.
She testified about the fair,their time at the Hilton and the
confrontation.
Her testimony helped theprosecution establish motive and
the emotional context forClara's actions.
Prosecution established motiveand the emotional context for
Clara's actions and on February14, 2003, she received her
(44:45):
verdict and sentencing the daycruelly ironic as this was David
and Clara's wedding anniversary.
Clara heard the words.
We, the jury, find the defendant, clara L Harris, guilty of
murder as charged in theindictment.
Clara was convicted of murderand sentenced to 20 years in
prison and fined $10,000.
The jury spared her a lifesentence, perhaps moved by the
raw pain and humiliation thatshe was so evidently was
(45:07):
consumed by.
Additionally, she did not havea criminal history.
So they took that intoconsideration.
And you might be thinking butonly 20 years?
She freaking, killed him, right?
Yeah, so she was found guiltyof murder.
But there is a legaldistinction in Texas, that when
it occurs with sudden passion,the severity of sentence is
(45:28):
reduced.
So she fell into that category.
She was sent to the MountainView Unity in Gatesville, texas,
and in prison she reportedlykept to herself.
She was a model inmate.
Her time spent was quiet.
She's working, participating ineducational programs.
She taught GED classes andhelped fellow inmates.
(45:49):
She never denied what she haddone, but maintained that it was
not premeditated.
She never denied what she haddone, but maintained that it was
not premeditated.
After her conviction, herlicense was effectively revoked,
as Texas law prohibits felonsfrom holding a professional
license.
The Texas State Board of DentalExaminers does not appear to
(46:14):
have issued a publicdisciplinary report beyond what
was required, as the convictionitself was grounds for automatic
revocation.
After the trial, gail facedintense public scrutiny.
She was viewed by some as theother woman who helped unravel a
marriage, and by others as avictim who had narrowly escaped
being killed herself.
She kept a very low profilefollowing the trial.
As of the latest availableinformation, she is believed to
be living privately in Texas,away from the media spotlight.
(46:37):
Her marriage reportedly endedafter the affair became public
and she has avoided pressinterviews ever since.
After the trial, lindsaydisappeared from public view.
It is believed that she livedwith her biological mother
following the events.
She was just a teenager,thrushashed into national
spotlight by a nightmare that nochild should have to witness.
(46:57):
The emotional scars she enduredfrom watching her father die
and seeing her stepmother, whoshe trusted, become his killer,
are unimaginable.
She has never spoke publiclyagain of the trial, but had sent
a statement in when decliningto appear on Oprah's show a few
years after the trial had ended.
The statement reads from theday this event occurred I've
(47:22):
tried to avoid doing anything tocommercialize or promote the
story of my dad's tragic murder.
The person who murdered my dad,unfortunately has not exercised
the same restraint.
Clara has appeared in print andon television to persuade the
viewers that she is actually thevictim, but she is no victim.
What she did was the ultimateact of selfishness, caring only
about obtaining revenge andthinking not one bit about how
(47:44):
her horrible act was going toaffect me or my brothers, brian
and Bradley.
Anyone who shared my ride inthe car that evening, seeing my
dad's face as he was about to behit and experiencing the
(48:04):
horrible feel of the car bumpingover his body, would understand
that this murderess deserves nosympathy.
Clara and David's twin boyswere only three years out of the
public eye for obvious privacyreasons, especially considering
the circumstances surroundingtheir father's death and
mother's incarceration.
They were raised by Claire'sclosest friends, anna and Pat,
who, coincidentally, also hadtwin boys of their own, and they
(48:27):
were the same age.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (48:29):
Anna said in an interview when the boys were six
that they were doing well inschool and were very intelligent
.
They knew that their dad was inheaven and would often ask
questions like what is dad doingin heaven?
Can he see us?
They would ask about their mom,who they miss terribly.
And, again, little public infoabout them.
(48:49):
Today.
They would be in their late 20sand they have never made a
public statement or participatedin interviews.
After serving 15 years, clarawas granted parole release on
May 11th 2018 and was quietlyreleased in 2019.
She has since lived out of thepublic eye, avoiding interviews
and media attention.
(49:10):
She was released from parole inFebruary of 2023 and reportedly
still lives in Texas, but afarfrom the polished life that she
once shared with David.
There's no public record of herever attempting to try and
regain her license to practicedentistry after her release.
This, like I said earlier, wasa highly publicized case.
(49:34):
Uh, early 2000s, I definitelywas not watching the news, so,
uh, I didn't.
Had not heard about this before, but there are so, so so many
resources out there.
I didn't have time to order abook, um, but there is a book
titled out of control, writtenby Stephen Long, published in
2004.
Um, this case was profiled onOxygen Network series.
(49:57):
Apparently it was on Snapped in2004, abc News 2020, on
Discovery Deadly Women in 2010.
I mean, like I said, I didn'tuse any of these personally, but
there's so much moreinformation about this case, so
if you are like me and had notheard of it and you want to
learn more about it, um, there'splenty to find out there.
(50:19):
So this, this, uh, this oneserves as cautionary tale, guys,
how intense emotions,particulars, particularly
jealousy, betrayal and rage, candrive people to commit
irreversible acts.
Yikes, unchecked emotions,turmoil, especially in the
context of infidelity andmarital breakdown, can escalate
(50:40):
into tragic violence.
And I believe it also serves asa reminder of the consequences
of taking justice into one'shands and the importance of
seeking healthier ways to copewith personal crises.
Obviously, murder's not theanswer.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
Had you heard of this case before?
Speaker 1 (51:07):
No, I had not heard of this and I was not expecting
this.
Wow, Um so tragic on so manylevels, in least of which is why
did they call theirorthodontics and dental combined
practice space center?
Speaker 2 (51:19):
I don't know that was .
I didn't get that one.
I definitely reread that acouple times.
Speaker 1 (51:24):
Um, and how did we get from?
I'm sorry, I kissed her handtoo.
Well, yeah, we're having sexthree times a day.
Um, yeah, and then I be mad atthe guy, not the woman Also,
yeah, but roping the teenagerinto this.
That poor baby, that poor sweetbaby angel, should never have
(51:49):
been brought into this in anycapacity, and I hope she's
living her best life right now,um, and knows that her dad is
looking down from heaven andsmiling on her.
But what a horrible, horrible I.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
I think the thing that got me the most was that um
statement that she had sent tooprah.
It was like that she had to seehis face before he was hit and
that she was had to feel thebump of the car right in a
moment like how do you move pastthat?
Speaker 1 (52:20):
a lot of therapy yeah , I, I don't think you ever do,
and, uh, that's horrible, that'sabsolutely unimaginable.
Um, and so it.
It just not only did it take ina man who, yeah, he was a
cheating bastard, but he didn'tdeserve to be murdered, it took
(52:41):
his life and it forever changedso many people's lives as a
result of her not being able tocontrol her rage, slash,
jealousy.
So just very, very tragic.
I feel like she got off light,um, you know, 15 years, and then
(53:01):
she gets to just live and he'sdead.
Um, I hope that her twins areare living their best life and
able to, you know, somehow, Ithink, reconcile what happened
with their mom I think they'relike connected with her still.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
I was reading some articles that like they
reconnected after she wasreleased.
Speaker 1 (53:22):
So sad that's so sad on so many levels and she just,
I don't know it's like.
I feel like from the beginningshe set up to try and and just
win everybody over by being thebest that she could be and when
it didn't work out, somebodyquote unquote rejected her.
She was doing everything shecould and he picked somebody
(53:44):
else.
She just shouldn't have thecoping mechanisms to handle it
Not that I blame her, but itjust goes to show that mental
health is so important and, uh,we all need a therapist, Uh, so,
wow.
Well, thank you for forbringing that to light.
That was fascinating.
You did a wonderful job.
Speaker 2 (54:03):
Thank you, um.
So I do have a medical mishap.
That was sent to me, um.
It was asked to be sharedanonymously.
I do know this person listensto our podcast every week, so we
will just say thank you forlistening, um, and we love you,
(54:25):
um.
So again, story sentanonymously, but it is also
dental related.
Nice, um.
And so it reads I used to workat a dental office where one of
my favorite coworkers was adental assistant at the time
whose first language was notEnglish.
He was kind, hardworking andalways brought great energy to
the team.
(54:45):
But names names were hisnemesis.
Names are hard, yeah, names arehard.
He'd often get flustered tryingto remember if he should call
the patient's first name ortheir last name.
The rest of us got used to hismix-ups and, honestly, they
became a bright spot in theworkday.
His cheerful attitude andunintentional slips gave us
(55:06):
endless laughs, alwaysgood-natured and never
mean-spirited.
But there was one moment thatstill lives in legend.
I can't wait.
We had a patient named Claricethat day.
He walked into the waiting room, glanced at the chart and, with
full confidence, called outClitoris.
No one moved Undeterred.
(55:33):
He raised his voice and said,with his whole chest, clitoris.
The vibe was definitelyuncomfortable, especially for
clarice.
Some bursts into uncontrollablelaugh, as you would, and it was
one of those perfect,accidental moments that made an
(55:54):
ordinary day unforgettable and areminder of how laughter can
bond us, even across languagebarriers.
Speaker 1 (56:02):
Oh, thank you, Anonymous, for that.
I want to know how they cameout of that.
He went back and went.
Well, there's no clitoris inthe lobby, be like.
Well, regardless, let's try forthe name this time, not the
body part.
I'm sorry, clarice.
She's like seriously, I have toadmit to that can you imagine
(56:28):
having to be the like?
Speaker 2 (56:29):
if that is what happened?
He was like I don't know.
They're not here and you haveto go out and be like clarice.
I'm so sorry.
Um, please excuse our friend oh, I do have.
Speaker 1 (56:40):
I had a tiny medical mishap along these lines today.
I didn't have my glasses on, soI have a problem like looking
in the distance, like things areblurry.
So, um, we are waiting for thisnewborn to check in for a test
and I had a student who wassupposed to take them back and I
was like, are you sure thatthey're not out there?
(57:01):
And he's like I don't know.
And I said, okay, let me golook in the lobby Because it was
past their check-in time.
So I looked out in the lobbyand I saw this elderly couple
who were what I thought was theywere facing like a stroller or
pram that was facing them andthey were making faces at this
baby.
Speaker 2 (57:17):
A pram.
I mean, I know what that isfrom books I read, but maybe
tell our listeners yeah.
Speaker 1 (57:22):
So you know, a pram is a stroller that it's flat,
that has like a lid on it, thebuggy top, anyway.
So they're looking.
Speaker 2 (57:29):
A lid.
Speaker 1 (57:30):
Anyway, they were making faces in the stroller and
I was like I think there's anewborn out there.
Go and call your patient.
So he went out to call thisnewborn and nobody answered and
came back in and he goes um, Ineed you to come out here and
explain what you just saw.
So I went out and I was like,yeah, these elderly people were
looking in a stroller at a baby.
(57:51):
Um, it was an elderly.
I walked closer so I could seebetter.
It was an elderly couple thathad a walker in front of them
and there was a dog.
Speaker 2 (58:04):
It was a dog on the walker that they were making
faces at Cute little, some kindof spaniel, and he goes.
Speaker 1 (58:13):
Is that who you think your newborn patient is?
It's perhaps, but what wasfunnier is that I made him go
out there and actually call thisbaby's name, and these were the
only two people in the lobby.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
He's like you wackadoo.
There's no stroller, there's nopram out there.
Speaker 1 (58:34):
This is the only time I've ever confused a
four-legged animal for one of mypatients.
Speaker 2 (58:39):
Yeah, wow.
Speaker 1 (58:40):
Yeah, I mean you got to wear your glasses and you got
to check your pronunciation.
You got to do it Me thinks yeah, but listen, when I go out to
the lobby, I count on havingshoes that are comfortable,
amanda.
Yeah, I mean having shoes thatare comfortable, amanda.
Speaker 2 (58:56):
Yeah, I mean, you do more stand-in, I do more
drive-in.
So tell me about shoes.
Speaker 1 (59:00):
I mean, I'm on my feet all day long and I need
some shoes that are built forthat.
And let me just tell you, standPlus Shoes at Standcom are
built for anyone on their feetall day long, whether they're
healthcare workers, serviceindustry, athletes or more.
They were founded by Rob Gregg,who was a postal worker that
(59:22):
had painful 16 hour shifts wherehe was on his feet.
Let me tell you, these shoesdeliver cloudlight comfort, with
XL extra light soles, customortho light insoles and seven
millimeters of arch support,unlike athletic shoes that add
joint pressure.
Stan Plus disperses energy toease strain on knees, back and
feet.
(59:42):
They're slip resistant, fluidresistant, machine washable and
packed with antimicrobialmoisture wicking technology to
keep your feet cool and clean.
They are lab tested as thenumber one shoe for comfort and
pressure relief and they'veearned features in Forbes and
Fast Company For long shifts orfast recovery.
This is foot care redefined.
Visit wwwstanshoescom for 15%off any product when you use our
(01:00:08):
code STAYSUSPICIOUS that'sstanshoescom.
With promo code STAYSUSPICIOUSthat's stanchoescom with promo
code STAYSUSPICIOUS Excellent.
Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
Okay, jenna.
What can we expect to hear nextweek?
Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
Well, next week I have a case of an alternative
healthcare so-called guru.
You will need to decide if youthink he's a a guru or a be gone
.
Um, but also, uh, toxic vitamin.
So, um, yeah, Okay, it's goingto be a doozy.
Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
I'll be looking forward to that.
Speaker 1 (01:00:50):
Um, but until then, don't miss a beat.
Subscribe or follow doctoringthe truth wherever you enjoy
your podcasts for stories thatshock, intrigue and educate.
Trust, after all, is a delicatething.
(01:01:10):
Email us your medical mishapsat doctoringthetruth, at gmail,
and be sure to follow us onInstagram, at
doctoringthetruthpodcast, orFacebook at doctoringthetruth,
or TikTok at doctoringthetruth,or at oddpod.
Don't forget to download,download rate and review.
(01:01:34):
Please rate and review, even ifyou know.
Just just basically hit fivestars and write something nice.
It means a lot, it doesn't costyou anything, just takes you a
few seconds.
We just need this so we can besure to be be here to be able to
bring you more content nextweek.
So until then, stay safe andstay suspicious, stay suspicious
(01:01:56):
.
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