July 22, 2021

by drplasticpicker

A lot of people lose their shoes at the beach. Two days ago when I was able to get to the beach early in the morning, I found a lot of single shoes buried in the sand. I know these become bits and pieces of plastic because further north near Tourmaline, the plastic that washes back from the Pacific are often plastic bits of shoes. People really should remember their shoes at the beach. Is it really that hard?

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July 21, 2021

by drplasticpicker

OMG it’s Wednesday! I had a rough night last night. Today is the fifth day without coffee, and yesterday I had my first true noticeable side effect which was muscle aches. I had plogged to the beach which I think didn’t help. It was a gentle plog. My legs were so achy yesterday and I had to walk around the house. I google searched caffeine withdrawal (yes doctors google things too) and read up on the symptoms. For the most part, I’ve been well and even this morning am coffee free. But I wasn’t sure what was happened yesterday until I read an article last night. I drank plenty of water thinking some of my muscle cells might be breaking down and then I took ibuprofen 600mg. I sat on the yoga mat and did some stretches which made it worse. I think just sat and tried to meditate a bit, which helped. Eventually the aching subsided and I was able to go to sleep. But it was a restful and almost full eight hours of sleep which is amazing. This morning I’m feeling well. I’m drinking a cup of tea without any sugar or cream, as I realize my body probably needs to wean from the caffeine gradually. But I do think it’s a victory to have stopped the coffee habit. I was just drinking too many cups and adding too many cream and sugar.

But it’s Wednesday and I’m hopeful this Wednesday. I’m hopeful for new climate projects and just new projects in general. Usually I do little news bits and pieces, but I haven’t really read CNN or follow the news lately. I’m trying to live in the real world. I used to obsessively read the news but not anymore. It helps slow down time not being tethered to the endless news cycle of doom and gloom. They are trying to make money off the audience anyway. News is a business too.

Five Items That Give Me Hope, Are All Things That We’ve Accomplished

1. UCSD School of Medicine: There is some sort of planetary report card that ranks how medical schools fair on their climate change and health curriculum and general sustainability. It was developed my a UCSF medical student who is from San Diego, and the daughter of a Sharp Family Practice climate and health advocate. This physician is a leader in another medical group, and recently joined our advocacy team. Anyway, our local medical school UCSD doesn’t even make the list. All I did was link up three students together, and cc’ed my academic friend and former medical school classmate Dr. Luis Castellanos. https://drplasticpicker.com/dr-luis-castellanos-cardiologist-doing-his-part-for-the-environment-7/ That group is working on many other projects, but they are going to speak with their dean and raise this issue.
2. Pediatric Board Member for StayCool4Grandkids: This is a local San Diego based climate group who is part of the Rewild Mission Bay Coalition. They are looking for a public health voice on their board. We had a young pediatrician who wants to start doing climate work, and I thought this would be an amazing way for him to begin networking and become involved. I made the e-introductions this morning and likely the two physicians are on their way.
3. AAP-CA3 Climate Change and Health Committe and San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air Apply to Join Rewild Mission Bay Coalition: This is a carbon sink project that just makes sense. We need the most natural bay to protect against storm surges, sequester carbon, provide more shorebird habitat, and provide active transport opportunities for children. This is something we’ve discussed at several of our meetings. I just emailed them and said “My name is XXX, and I am the co-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics – CA3 (San Diego) Climate Change and Health Committee, and also Co-Founder of San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air.  https://sdpediatriciansforcleanair.com We had our monthly meeting. We are an overlapping group of 40 mostly pediatricians, premedical students and some allied health voices that advocate together on climate.  Both groups after our monthly meeting yesterday, would like to formally apply to join the coalition.  Many of us live near the bay as well, and we feel this is in the best interest for pediatric health.   Please let me know if there is anything further I need to do. We have logos that we can send as well.” It’s amazing how much climate work one can do by sending just one email.
4. Air Pollution Control District: Hearing Committee – Pediatricians as the Public Health Member: One of our members won a seat on the hearing committee for the Air Pollution Control District Hearing Committee. There are three pediatricians on key positions for public health regarding air pollution. I’m patting myself on the back. I think I had an important role in all those political maneuverings. Yes I did. The candidate is great by the way. I’m just really good at letter writing and bringing together like-minded earth-loving pediatricians.
5. AirKeepers Program: This program I heard from Lori Byron, and they have been able to do it in Montana. I found out about the Prather lab at UCSD, and I guess the foremost expert on atmospheric aerosols something or another is local. And then I take care of a mother who is a middle school chemistry teacher and is connected with all the science education folks in the southbay. The key would be to get funding so that these middle schools have PM2.5 sensors and then run a flag up each day, with different colors depending on the air pollution. I think the San Diego APCD has a grant but I have to look at it. Anyway, been talking about it and I nees to call Dr. Sabrina Perrino to see how we can put this all together. Link a pediatrician from San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air to each middle school. Draw the bonds between pediatricians and students closer. Educate and advocate together. Raise awareness. This would fit into middle school science’s integrative science model and the “citizen scientist” projects. This is our big next project.

So lots of things to be excited for. Our journal article will publish this week I think. I check the Children’s At Risk website and the Journal of Applied Research on Children. I submitted the final revisions last week. We also got a great offer on one of our rental properties. That way I can pay my family member for the rest of my portion for our Oregon farm. For the price of a studio in downtown San Diego near Petco Park, I bought half of a massive Oregon farm. Makes no sense, sometimes real estate prices. And then I’m going to invest some of that equity (if we close the deal) on an event center in the East County. I’m really excited. I’m going to start up a dance studio and event center. I figure anytime I want to go to classes there, if I partially own it – I can go for free. And then when our climate group needs to hold events, we’ll do it at that event center. I may even put a small office for San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air there. Escaping the HMO Machinery (well not quite yet because I’m doing a countdown) has been a blessing. I have more freedom to be creative and think of new climate projects. As I was texting with a close friend yesterday that was asking me how I was doing. I replied, “I’m fine. It’s literally easier to save the earth than fix the department.” Yes it is. At least for me. I have to do things my way.

July 20, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Yesterday was indeed a momentous day. Firstly (is that even a word), I finished binge-watching Dawson’s Creek. I’m glad I did not watch this during it’s original run 1998-2003 because I was premed and in medical school at that time. I was very busy with my studies and my own romance with Mr. Plastic Picker, who is now my lawfully wedded husband. There was also living your own adventures. But now that I’m in my 40s and trying not to spew carbon in the air by taking exotic vacations and it’s still a pandemic anyway, I appreciated the adventures of this group of friends in Capeside. I had to finish watching yesterday because I knew that Pacey Witter and Joey Potter end up together (Dr. Dear Friend was kind enough to Ecosia search it for me) but I needed to see it for myself. For me, Pacey Witter and Joey Potter will go down as one of the great romances right along with Dr. Plastic Picker and Mr. Plastic Picker. They stay together and live happily ever after. I may need to write a fan fiction piece about them afterwards! That will be epic! My star trek fan fiction piece of Trip and Tpol regarding the alternate ending of the Star Trek Enterprise is still my most popular blog post. Click here to check it out! https://drplasticpicker.com/the-star-trek-enterprise-romance-of-tpol-and-trip-im-going-to-give-them-the-ending-they-deserve/

Yesterday was also a momentous day because I went through the first full day of work without coffee. Today will be the fourth full day (the entire weekend and Monday and Tuesday). I didn’t intend to stop drinking coffee, but it’s something I don’t mind. The reason why I was able to stop drinking coffee is because a huge psychological stress was gone due to our restructuring some of my work Assistant Boss responsibilities https://drplasticpicker.com/500th-bag-came-and-went-just-like-my-building-up-the-per-diem-pool-a-lot-of-work-and-passing-it-on-with-little-fanfare/ It was interesting the reaction of various people when I told them about my coffee victory. Lets just say there is alot of subtext with different reactions. But it is done, and the thirteen year old coffee habit came and went without much fanfare. It’s better for me, and it’s something that happened because I’m more in balance in the truest sense of the word.

Oh, and then the picture above! I was making dinner last night and our daughter has decided to not eat any meat for a while. This is okay because she has a very positive body image and she is doing it for the earth. We had gone through a period of kinda vegan eating, so I’m comfortable with the different cooking methods and I’m almost pescatarian anyway. So I was making an Impossible Meat (which is vegan) sauteeds with garlic, onions, mushrooms, mixed vegetables from Costco, and we had it with the locally made Pita bread from Sprouts. Our daughter was toasting it in the toaster and it lit on fire. Mr. Plastic Picker was able to move the fire outside, but I was the one who grabbed the fire extinguisher and put out the fire. I bought it years ago and thought it was a good idea to have it. And then I had gone through the training at work twice. I felt very masterful putting out the fire. I knew to remove the pin. I knew how to aim the fire extinguinsher, and I knew about how much to press it. I felt really good.

And lastly, one of our premed interns who is the second class in our commitee and one of my former patients – got an amazing internship with one of my fellow climate activists who is a researcher at UCSD. I was able to make the connection and she is now going to work with this wonderful group. I am so proud of her.

And that it is is. That is why yesterday was an exciting day for me. Still not drinking coffee. Boo to the naysayers. I know they don’t read this blog. I am drinking a bit of green tea though. Much love to you all. Dr. Plastic Picker! Hopefully will make it to the beach this morning.

July 18, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Something absolutely wonderful and weird happenend. Between semi-binge watching Dawson’s Creek, giving up per diem physician management as per the request of the HMO machinery, and realizing how sweet the cherry tomatoes from our garden tasted, I stopped drinking coffee. Yes, just like that. I stopped. It’s been 36 hours, and I haven’t gone without coffee at least 2 to 6 cups a day for almost 13 years to this day. I also stopped for the most part cursing (I know, I know, it was a horrible habit and I only did it – in front of my husband or co-workers when the doors were all closed).

I went for a real jog and walked along the beach last night. And then came home and had a good nights sleep. I woke up at 5am or so. I had gone through all of my medical training including chief residency and the endocrine clinical year without coffee. PICU, NICU, pediatric surgery rotation – all of it without coffee. I remember now that after the birth of our daughter when she was a preemie baby and then brining her home from the NICU, it was a stressful time in life. In retrospect, I had postpartum depression. I didn’t recognize it. No one who cared for me recognized it. No one asked. I self medicated with coffee, lots of cream and lots of sugar. That is how I coped with life. And the coffee habit fluctuated from 2 cups to sometimes 6 cups a day with lots of cream and sugar.

But this weekend it happened, the coffee habit ended without much fanfare. My body feels right. I realize through the demands of work, emotional stress – it was my crux. I’m lactose intolerant anyway. It’s hard to get sustainable grown coffee anyway. And I put way too much sugar in it anyway. Oh, the cursing for the most part stopped about the time I started walking along the beach plogging.

Without the coffee, time has slowed down more. The tomatoes from the garden are so sweet this year. I think some of it is the compost, but some of it was that I didn’t drink coffee with sugar yesterday. I had the cherry tomatoes at breakfast with a sandwhich and then at dinner we used it on our homemade pizza. It was hard to get enough to put on the pizza, because I kept popping them into my mouth. And the sky looked beautiful yesterday above the Pacific, despite the air pollution. I noticed a monarch butterfly when I was sitting in the car at the park, waiting for our daughter to finish volleyball. And I gave more hugs to Mr. Plastic Picker yesterday.

When one is on the path of healing, it is slow but real. Healing the earth. Healing ourselves. Sometimes I doubt myself. But then I get these little flashes of fundmanetal change that just happened because I’m just better. I’ll still eat cookies here and there, but I much prefer vegan muffins homemade now with whatever leftover ingredients I have around the house. Life is so sweet now with the cherry tomatoes from our garden.

July 16, 2021

by drplasticpicker

There are 21 months and approximately 630 days left of my Assistant Boss term. Yes, I’ve decided in my melancholy and frustration regarding middle-managment to have a countdown. Yes I have. This is the beautiful United States of America and I have freedom of speech and freedom to count. If other MDs can have a retirement countdown and not suffer any professional repercussions, than I have an Assistant Boss countdown. I used to sometimes think about how many years to retirement, but I no longer even consider that thought – as the practice of actual patient care brings me so much fulfillment and joy again. Or maybe it never was as fulfilling and meaningful as it has been the last two years. But the Assistant Boss and middle-management time? I am doing a countdown. Yes I am. And no one can stop me.

I am also going to buy a rooster and I’m going to name him Louie. There is a special person named Louie and I talked to him recently. We caught up on life and I asked him how his retirement is going and he said with true happiness in his voice, “I’m good. I’m really content.” And rather than asking him to work shifts or talk about our middle-management needs, we just chatted about life. He really cared about the farm and wished me luck in Oregon. And I decided at that moment that when we start raising chickens (which the plan is relatively soon) that I will name one of the roosters after him. He laughed.

And that laugh, and that conversation made up for so much. His happiness and contentment gave me joy. During my time as Assistant Boss I was able to do certain projects that eased his transition. It eased the pain of what middle-management did to him at the end of his career. I remember the ignoble way the HMO machinery tossed aside one of it’s best leaders. As I think to my countdown the 21 months left, I don’t know where life will take me. But I always think to Louie when I have doubts. I call him sometimes when I have moral quandries. But it’s time to let him go too. He is living his life in retriement with joy, but I will have a chicken and name it after him so I can remember the Chief Boss and I’ll sing to that chicken/rooster that oh so fitting song.

“Louie Louie. oh no. said we gotta go. yeah yeah yeah.”

July 14, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I started this blog and the different “blog series” on Dr. Plastic Picker on a lark. I had always wanted to be a blogger, and this blog gave me an off-beat irreverent creative outlet. I wanted to document my eco-avatar environmental journey, and maybe inspire others to take that next step. I understand that we need systems change, but systems change can only happen if there is an upswelling in public support and sentiment. And that is where I come in. My half-arsed middle-management career was part of my journey to burn-out and back, and now integral to how I plan to help save the earth. Being in middle-management and I think an effective physician middle-manager made me realize that it’s literally easier to save the earth and change people’s hearts, than it is to “solve” certain middle-management issues.

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July 12, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’m still in the throes of Dawson’s Creek. I’m on season three and at a reasonable time last night turned it off. There have been a host of new characters introduced into Capside High, and the original cast is being challenged and pulled apart by these new relationships. This is what happens in real relationships as well, but honestly the best seasons are the first few seasons. This is when you learn about your characters, their struggles and you fall in love with them and their relationships. As the seasons go on, the plot-lines sometimes get a bit weird.

I did a lot this weekend. I thought I didn’t go a lot at the close of yesterday, but after closing 20 charts so that I don’t hit the naughty open chart list – I felt I had done a lot. And it’s Monday morning and I woke up at a normal time at 6am, and I realized I did a lot this weekend. I updated letters of recommendations for our premed interns. I made way on the final edits for the paper. Mr. Plastic Picker and I met up socially with two separate friends and physicians in our physician group, really to just be together as friends but also to talk about physician wellness and environmental activism. Then our son did have his belated 16th birthday party. He went to the movies and had dinner at the food court at Liberty Station. Used his own credit card for the first time, and he and 2 of his best friends were just together. No instagram or facebook or picture trail. But we were there too and saw them and stored those beautiful memories.

And I realized something watching Dawsons Creek. I’m still in the middle beautiful part and more seasons to go of Dr. Plastic Picker. But I know that the best seasons were the first few, and there will be an end. And because there is an end, the now is beautiful because this will not go on indefinitely. So I kind of made a decision yesterday about the blogging and Instagram and all this activism. The activism will go on because we need all of us to stop climatic disaster. But at some point, I’ll retire certain aspects of the blog and collate it into a book. At some point I’ll retire the Instagram.

The wonderful things about the blog and climate activism being a non-monetized part of my life, is that it’s been about growth and new experiences and reflection. And at some point, you learn enough about yourself or share enough and there is a natural close. I’m still in the middle of Dr. Plastic Picker! But just reflecting on this journey and it’s natural close. It makes the today so much sweeter.

I looked at a close friend and colleague yesterday across the dinner table of a very fancy restaurant. And I told him a bit about my story and ended with, “Most days I walk in to work now and I’m happy. I’m happy to be where I am. I am grateful to do what I do.” And if we can all say that about our lives, than the world would be a better place. I wish this for everyone. I know last night as we left the dinner and two couples walked together, that we all four left more connected because we all listened to eachother. And that listening is so important.

July 11, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I was up until 2am last night watching Dawson’s Creek. I had worked Saturday morning clinic and feeling tired, so I went to my other alternate universe which is now Dawson’s Creek (I have multiple alternative universes). This morning I was supposed to meet two famous Instagram litterpickers for a joint event, but honestly after trying to be mindful and take care of my own patients in a Saturday morning clinic – I was tired. I wanted to escape. And I escaped into the slightly bad-boy eyes of Pacey Whitter. Joshua Jackson the actual actor is my same age, so I think it’s okay to have this celebrity crush. I’m on season 3 right now and it’s getting kind of weird with the story lines – but still fun. And after Dawson’s Creek, one of my real friends (not Instagram friends) recommended Fringe which also stars Joshua Jackson. I’m actually really excited.

And that is it. I don’t have much to say today. I watched so much Dawson’s Creek last night and was up until 2am, that I texted the two Instagram litterpickers and said I could not come, and I had family responsibilities. And this is true. I’m actually going to meet up with a real life friend and do a litterpick around our area, and show him our composter Aerobin400. I consider him family because I interact with this particular person alot and I love his toddler, who speaks fluent Vietnamese. I’m still going to try to save the earth today, just without driving since I’m tired and will just see someone I really know. And I was having second thoughts yesterday, because Instagram is not really real. I didn’t want to set a bad example and start meeting virtual people in person, because what if they are not what they purport to be? I’m pretty sure these two particular people are wonderful, but you never know. I don’t want to end up in a ditch somewhere because I did something stoopid.

So I’m watching Dawson’s Creek and finishing up the final edits of that journal article again. Knowing I can watch Dawson’s Creek (which I did not watch in college because I was premed) gives me a nice feeling toward the close of the day. But I’m not going to binge watch it anymore. Just a few episodes a night is good. Got to love these streaming services. Will pick up litter today but with someone who I really know. Then with our highschool class as a mini-reunion event beginning of August.

Pacey Whitter, I think you may have saved my life. Because I was memorized by your quick wit and slight bad-boy persona, I missed this mornings litter-picking event with complete strangers. I know it wasn’t the safe thing to do, and Mr. Plastic Picker told me not to go.

July 9, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’ve been asked to pass on a huge part of my Assistant Boss portfoilio. It’s access and per diem physician management. It’s the right thing to do, because I have too much on my middle-managment plate (hence the frequent cursing silently and sometimes not to silently in my office – Dr. Dear Friend knows – at departmental emails). Given that there are so many meetings I have to attend, I get paid precisely 2 hours to do about 10 hours of work. Other people are getting paid the same amount, and the work should be shared.

This is absolutely the right thing to do for the department and for my family. I can now concentrate on new projects and helping move vaccination and other quality metrics forward. I can now work on physician leadership development within our department, and trying to figure out more ways to insert pediatricians into our HMO upper management leadership structure.

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July 8, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Yesterday I had two baby monarch catepillars that my mother-in-law mistakenly thought were pests. I came home after clinic and she said there was a slug eating up all the little plants I had asked her to grow from seeds I brought home. She had painstakenly grown those plants, and they were native milkweed from Nurse Lan’s garden. He had given me seeds. And we had just 6 little plants that were not more than 2 inches tall. Two catepillars had eaten them all up. My mother-in-law brought them for me to see, and they were floating in water. They were monarch catepillars and those milkweed plants were meant for them.

My mother-in-law did not know, and I knew how hard she had worked to grow these seeds I had brought home. We started the seeds late this season, and there are not enough for two hungry monarch catepillars. I read on the internet that sometimes zuchinnis or pumpkin or some kind of squashes will do, but to be careful of the pesticides even in “organic” squash. We had a small pumpkin, the first of the summer squash crop that is organic and grown from our own yard. So I did what the internet said, and placed them in a chopstick for the catepillars and also threw in a few of the remaining milkweed leaves. I’ll bring them into clinic if they are still alive today, and see if Nurse Lan can’t give them a home in his garden.

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