January 28, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Thank you to everyone for the virtual and real sympathy yesterday after my adventures with Moderna #2. Now almost 48 hours post vaccination, I am better after 3 doses of tylenol 1000 mg. My body feels like it ran a marathon, just exhausted but refreshed after actually sleeping and Mr. Plastic Picker brought home Rubio’s fish tacos and the fish taco was very healing. Someone in high school once told me fish was brain food, and since then I always think that when I eat fish – even if it’s from a fast-casual place.

The sympathic messages were very appreciated and healing. Please text me if you need similar sympathy, as I’m happy to text back some encouraging messages now that I’m done with Moderna #2 post-vaccine experience. Many of my real MD friends are about to embark on their experiences. This is a common shared experience for us, which is relatively uncommon in general but so much more frequent since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

I have been thinking about frugality and the importance of being truly fiscally responsible. Yesterday as I was trying to make it through the day, I was alternatively moaning in bed without anyone to attend to me (Mr. Plastic Picker was at work, my usually attentive tween daughter was at blended school, my teen son doesn’t hear anything and he’s a teenage boy and I’m his middle aged mother, and my in-laws are hard of hearing) except our crazy poodle-mix puppy. I did rest in bed, which was good to catch a few extra hours of sleep. I did take some tylenol 1000 mg doses, because after the first time it brought relief – I said why not??!! and took two more doses as I’m confidant that my body is teeming with spike protein antibodies. Just half kidding. I did take a total of 3 doses in the 48 hours. But in between my delirious social media posts about generating your will as I was thinking about my own eventual demise, texting my friend Usa who is the troop cookie mom this year for more cookies, and passing out again on the bed – I did do several things that I know were very healing and they were very cheap. The most relaxing things yesterday that helped me feel fundamentally better were sitting outside in the sunshine for a bit, and watching the birds at our two bird feeders. I looked at my small little container garden to see where the onions, sweet pea plant and succulents were at in their journeys. And then twice yesterday I did a few yoga stretches, once in the afternoon on the artifical grass in the warm sun and last night before going to bed. I turned on ocean waves as well before I went to bed and I had a good nights sleep. And now I feel better.

It reminded me that some of the best things in life are actually cheap. What healed me yesterday were things that are actually helping to sequester carbon and decrease global warmining. These things anyone can have. We should all create healing places in our homes. Even in the bathroom, I’ve moved an old beautiful wooden stool that we’ve had for years that it a hand-me-down from my mother. I put two succulent plants on it. And it’s relaxing to look at the stool when one is trying to create stool (sorry I had too! LOL). But in all seriousness, that is half of constipation right? Creating a welcoming space to have a bowel movement. Half of the reasons kids have UTIs and are constipated, is they do not “heed the call to stool” or don’t take time in the bathroom to fully empty their bladder. I kid you not that phrase comes from the Rome Consensus Conference on Constipation, which is a real thing where a bunch of gastroenterologist come to talk about constipation. What if the answer to constipation is not only getting kids to eat more vegetables that is unprocessed wiht more fiber, but creating a welcoming place to stool? I created a place with $0. And actually the succulents help sequester the stinky poop carbon that we are releasing too! I wonder if humans have methane in their gas? Let me check Ecosia. [PAUSE]

OMG!!! See! I’m not crazy. There is an entire Thought.Co article on this. About 10% of human gas is methane. “There are scientists and medical doctors who specialize in the study of farts and other forms of intestinal gas. The science is called flatology and the people who study it are called flatologists.” https://www.thoughtco.com/chemical-composition-of-farts-608409 So it is helpful to have plants in the bathroom. Plus I do think it calms people to check out their plants, and makes them get off the phone and just be mindful with their body as they are trying to do their business. For me, I havne’t had that irrational need to bring my phone into the bathroom anymore because I’m busy looking at my succulents.

I think the democratic party should take heed on my advice. I absolutely love love where President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are going with climate change. Fixing our ecosystems and preventing further destruction is the most fiscally responsible thing to do. But rather than rattling off they are giving billions to this or trillions to that, they need to sell how fiscally responsible they are being with our tax dollars. I’m sorry, our household pays lots in taxes. The margin of victory was not stellar this election cycle. To make sure we keep the green agenda going, we have to make sure we win the minds and hearts of our more conservative friends. And many of them are conservative due to fiscal policy.

I am reminded of this, as Assistant Boss W.P. and I are working with our nutrition department in what I now call the “Nutrition Reform” Movement. We have started this conversation with the nutrition department to update and improve the pediatric offerings. The first thing out of the managers mouth was “business case” and “recharging pediatrics.” That put both of us in a conniption! We hadn’t even begun talking about what we were thinking and they are asking for more money. And where is the money coming from? It’s coming from the patients to the tune of higher rates, which means less people will buy our HMO insurance. This is the problem with the growing slice of middle-management in sky-rocketing health care costs. Middle-managers and upper-managers need to be fiscally responsible. Assistant Boss W. P. and I were texting back and forth and I told him that it’s the ethos of so many who work in our organization – just milking the HMO Mother Cow without any accountability for true improvement of pediatric health or keeping a lid on healthcare costs.

We started a new Instagram social media account kpkidsgoodfoodgoodearth and it cost $0!!!! This site shares plant-based recipes and gardening pics , shared by nurse and pediatricians for our patients. This hopefully improved engagement in this journey to improved nutrition. This will hopefully get more people cooking at home, therefore reducing plastic. This will get kids to eat more fiber rich foods, reducing office visits for constipation. And this costs $0. Our Pediatric GI doctor could do Instagram Live if she wants to talk about constipation with patients. Maybe we’ll have a Constipation Wednesdays where she talks about constipation. Or maybe any of us could? I’m half joking but half kidding. Fiber Fridays is actually a great idea???!!! That’s really catchy!

So that is it. Those are the random thoughts of Dr. Plastic Picker now recovered from Moderna #2. Thinking about plants, human flatus, fiber and fiscal responsibility in the environmental movement and healthcare. One of my co-workers in adult medicine had texted me “I think you should run for President. ” I might. But remember I am already Commander of the Immunization Coalition. I renamed it from Immunization Task Force. Chief Boss is now Supreme Commander. But actually I’d rather just be myself and Dr. Plastic Picker. That’s honestly enough for me. And you are enough, and you are wonderful. Please remember that – dear reader. You are enough. If we all knew that in the bottom of our souls, we would all be better for it. Well, I’m off to prepare for UCSD Family Practice Grand Rounds Presentation and actually take care of my patients today!