December 17, 2020

by drplasticpicker

I’m never sure how the mornings are going to go. I was thinking when I woke up this morning, I may not write a blog because I felt overwhelmed last night. I had met with the amazing students at Sustainable Pharmacy Project at Virginia Communwealth University (I am the “spiritual volunary non-faculty advisor) and they are working on this supercool student initiated project on pharmaceutical waste. I really want to help them with this project that will help the earth, and also help our HMO get there as well. I had no idea that there were so many medications in the water supply. It makes a lot of sense to me to reduce overprescribing and ensuring safe disposal of medication waste. Then I have our two other premedical interns that were kind of floating out there. But I sent three emails to one, as we are going to organize a film screening of the movie “Gather” and that will be his project for now. And then I emailed our other intern who is more quiet, about setting up a time to catch up on the art’s exhibition.

I felt like there was this overwhelming number of things to do, but I got up this morning and finished it all within an hour. It’s amazing what a good solid few sleep cycles will do for one’s brain and productivity. And then I made the above trash art piece which I really love yesterday. It’s made from a reused coffee cup lid that Dr. Dear Friend got at the clinic coffee shop. I told her I’d make something for her from it. I had two used coffee cups that I washed, and I ended up just taking them apart and recycling the paper outside and binning the waxy plastic coasted cup. That is not recycleable. Then the coffee lid is plastics #5 but it’s unlikely to be really recycled and I think it can’t be used to make much if it is. So I was playing around with the cup lid, along with beach litter I found over the weekend and Mr. Blue Puppy from a Coffee Lid was born. He is made from a upcycled discarded cloth mask I found, an intact plastic spoon I found, bits of blue plastic waste I found and he is really great. He’s like an ornament. I love the dark blue.

And I am so happy this morning already and it’s later than usual at 715AM. I am so happy and Hopeful because of five people.

So this is my Five Reasons to Be Hopeful this Wednesday, 12-16-2020.

1. COVID-19 ED DOC GOT REAL COVID-19 PFIZER VACCINE: there are several MDs that are working on climate change work with our full hearts and efforts. Two of those MDs are married, and the husband is an ED doctor that is also leading our COVID-19 efforts. His family found out that he had received the Pfizer COVID-19 real vaccine last night. That just makes me believe that good things do happen to good people. He is protected and has been protected these last 9 months of chaos while he was saving lives in the ED.
2. CHIEF OF ENDOCRINE IN OUR HMO: I just posted my idea about the pharmaceutical waste project on our HMO facebook page. “Random question. I do a lot of off-beat environmental stuff outside of work. I’m the “spiritual and voluntary non-faculty advisor” for Sustainable Pharmacy Projects which is a student-led environmental pharmacy group at Virginia Commonwealth University. They are a really great group and I’ve connected them with Virginia based climate activists already that I know. BUT does anyone know of any pharmacist or if we have a pharmacy sustainability /waste group? They are doing this really cool survey that will go nationwide on looking at provider knowledge on pharmaceutical waste, and I was thinking maybe it would be cool if we did the survey in our organization. This makes a lot of sense to me because healthcare saves money by not overprescribing and reducing waste, patients should save money by having the healthcare system operate more efficiency, and the environment is improved by having less antibiotics, betablockers and statins in the water supply. The data is really amazing what medicines are in the environment due to improper disposal. I have no idea who to talk to and how to go about it? Does it go through IRB? Any pharmacy managers I should talk to. I will organize a journal club later with our group on pharmacetucial waste in pediatrics for fun. Thanks in advance!” And the Chief of Endocrine replied with a key name and that she would like to help. If that is not amazing I don’t know what is.
3. Sanjay Rawal the Director of Gather. I had been in contact with the Director of Gather, about perhaps doing a screening for the various environmentally minded people in our lives. It’s going to happen. One of our interns is going to organize it, it should be pretty easy. But I forwarded emails from the director to our intern. And then emailed him “Hello Sanjay. I think our small group is ready to try to do a screening together.  We are really more of a grassroots as I am a litter picker and blog as drplasticpicker.com .  If its okay, could we do $150?  If I can get our HMO to kick it some money, I’ll hopefully be able to get more as I do want to support this project that is so important.  Right now our Amercian Academy of Pediatrics Climate Change and Health committee is just being funded by me.  XXX is one of our premedical students, recent grad from Chico State and will be helping to organize things.  For the 2nd option, if I’m able to get a lot of people to watch do you think there might be an option to have someone involved in the movie speak at the Zoom/Video Chat afterwards?  I’ve been following Chef Craig on Instagram.  I’m honestly trying to work on obesity and climate change on the medical side, and the more people understand about root causes of the disruptions to our environment and exactly what you demonstrate in the movie.  Just wondering if this may be an option. Thank you thank you for everything you do, and for bringing forth this beautiful film.  It really changed how I started looking at food systems and obesity in pediatrics, and I’m hoping it can help nudge other folks in the right directions to advocate for indigenous food systems and land right, and also to rethink their relationship with the earth and eachother.”
4. Girl Scout Co-Troop Leader: The other email I sent this morning is about a Girl Scout project on Clean Air. We are doing this Cadette Journey called BREATHE, and it will take some time to think through and organize. I am hopeful for the world as my Girl Scout Co-Troop Leader is of the same mindset to help the world as well as our own daughters. Snippets of the email I sent her and our other premed intern this morning, “What do you think about including other troops in the journey?  I have that troop based in Chula Vista. It’s a small troop about 5-7 girls I think?  I take care of two of the cousins that are part of that troop, and their mother is in educational publishing and a very active south bay activist family.  It might be fun to truly collaborate?  Not sure if it would work out for them, but I’m thinking if we do this – might as well have more girls and communities benefit? SDPCA.  I was thinking like the XXX global scholars program, I would make San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air Fun Patches.  What do you think about giving them out to the girls as well?  I want to try to make this a sustainable project for Vivian so that she can use as part of her advocacy.  I can order then and it will be part of SDPCA but wanted to see if you thought this okay.  We already have a logo.  This I will pay for since it will be part of SDPCA.”
5. Dear Dr. Friend. And I am hopeful because all of this work I think was due to me being inspired by  Mr. Little Blue Puppy from a Coffee Lid. I will bring him to work today and either gift him to a child or Dr. Dear Friend today.

So many reasons to be hopeful this Wednesday. On this blog we often make our own hope. And much of that hope comes from real community and real connections. Because that is the only way we are going to save the planet!!! Together!!! Forever. [Insert High School Musical Number]. LOL. It’s Dr. Plastic Picker signing off as I do have to work this morning. I hope you get to work on time as well. LOL all the way down the 805 SOUTH.