Wow. It happened in California. COPY PASTE to now New York, Utah, Oregon and Arizona. That is Our Plan.
October 26, 2024
by Dr. Plastic Picker
It happened. It really happened. Our advocacy team submitted the abstract to the Pediatric Academy Societies National Meeting. It’s one of two abstracts we submitted, and we are grateful to have been at the right place at the right time to help address leaded aviation fuel hazards first in San Diego and then in our state. This has been a long term project that has touched so many people. So just really grateful today, and we have plans to show our workflow with Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and New York friends. We realize that there are other groups like us across the nation, and it’s best to share and collaborate.
I won’t share the abstract text right now, since I’m not the first author. But all the names on this abstract are those that I deeply care for and they deeply care for the community. That a small group of committed and concerned citizens can make a difference, cannot be repeated enough.
Our other team led by Dr. Melissa Campbell submitted the extreme heat and youth sports abstract as well, and we will have two abstracts at the conference. I was going to try to get in the Public Health Advisory Council, Climate Actions Campaign Abstract – but I think submitting it to a more local conference is better so that the students can actually attend. That also gives me two more weeks to write it up.
Otherwise I’m a pretty happy person now for someone who got a root canal yesterday! My dentist was really young and I asked him “How OLD are you??!!” He was 31 but very gentle and did a great job! I am so grateful to that dentist. I had to work the late shift yesterday and I have to drive ALL THE WAY TO FRICKIN’ SAN MARCOS TOMORROW to work for some reason – I have no idea. No one from the north quadrant ever comes down south to work. But two of us have to go up there. The inequities in our department used to bother me so much, but now I know they reflect the general inequities in the world. So rather than trying to implode my department, I just am happy being part of a motley group of fractious pediatricians at times and work with everyone and just do my job. My dad reminded me in the midst of when I was burning out, that it was okay to just show up to work. And now I just show up, and it’s actually joyful. I do what I’m supposed to do, and recognize all those extras are gifts I give to my community and my patients. I don’t feel I am obligated to do those extras, so there are times I say no. I said no yesterday to an add-on and that is okay.
And this Saturday, it’s my DAY OFF. And I’m going to say YES to hanging out with our teen. I’m going to try to call our son who is a sophomore in college as well. I really miss him. More than I probably realize. Sometimes I don’t let myself love him as much as I want to, because I had to share him so much when he was a baby. The pain of doctoring and mothering is very really. It makes climate work actually pale in comparison.
Sending everyone green hugs!