by drplasticpicker

Even green “friends” can be unkind. What does it mean when someone tells you “You clearly have energy” with a certain tone of voice and expression? I was at an HMO Green Team meeting and I heard those words. I know we have competing pressures on our time, but my friends and I were there essentially on our free time. This is not one of our paid positions. And this particular person is paid to do this. It’s part of their job description. Does it mean “you clearly have energy, but lack clarity.” “You clearly have energy, but lack authority.” “You clearly have energy, buy lack direction.” “You clearly have energy, but are unable to articulate.” I know in my heart that is not what that person meant, but in my mind knowing that comment was directed at me who was the most senior woman leader there in that particular tone of voice – affected me. It’s funny how these running dialouges we probably all have in our head and we all bring our own particular histories to these make-believe scripts.

But my friends were there, and the meeting was productive and I’ve know been able to vent some of my frustrations here on the blog. Meetings and committees are all difficult. But we moved the work forward by stating our case that we needed some help, and we’ll move forward with the other person assigned to our work.

So here I am back on the blog, and dear reader – thank you. I haven’t posted as much the last month but the traffic has been steadily rising still. I can’t believe I’m at 596 bags of plastic pollution averted! Salvaged 1810 items from landfill. Click here to see my totals page! https://drplasticpicker.com/plastic-picking-round-up/

November 2021 Plastic Picking Totals! 21 bags and 46 items!

Honestly every month I come back to the blog and I know I’ve trudged forward. I’ve trudged forward toward my goal of 1000 bags (wow 596 bags is a lot!). And I’m trudged forward in my efforts to save the planet. I irritated some people yesterday at a meeting, and they irritated me back. But I know they are green friends and even green friends that say non-ideal things want to save this earth. And then I had a fun and very impactful meeting with AAP Climate Change and Health friends from our new super-cool committee (State Government Affairs!!!) and we discussed some upcoming legislative stances we want to take. We divided up the work and went forward on more climate work.

It’s so important to fill up your earth-agent/green super hero tank with goodness. yesterday was watching some K-dramas and practicing my Korean. It was silly but fun. I’m drinking matcha green tea soy latte, and I’m looking outside our wet backyard with the rainbarrels having caught as much rain from the sky as possible. I’m happy this morning because mother nature watered the urban rooftop garden, watered the backyard container garden, watered our front garden, watered the HMO parking garage succulent garden, and she’s working so hard. She’s working to cleanse the world and heal. For me this is a spiritual journey as well as a practical one. It’s practical because I want a liveable planet for all our children. But it’s spiritual because I know we are part of this larger cosmic battle between inaction and action, hopelessness and hope, disinterest and attention, fatigue and energy, good and evil. You have to choose which side you will be on. I choose the light. I choose hope. I choose action. So maybe when that person said “You clearly have energy” she saw my light. Please dear readers and go forth and be part of the light. The darkness is coming. It threatens to overwhelm us, but you can choose the light.

December 7, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’ve known Eric Nedelman as a parent of my patients for well over a decade. We’ve chatted about their kids and life, and gone through the normal markers of childhood for their children. But he handed two CDs to me last visit. I have been handed CDs in the past, but for some reason I finally found a computer that has a CD player and popped in the CD. It’s really good. I’m amazed at the talent and creative works we all have around us, that often go unnoticed or not appreciated. I wonder who reads my blog sometimes. I put my heart and soul into my writing, grammatical errors and all. It feeds my soul. And for Eric Nelelman, this CD is very good. Check out https://unpavedhighway.com/index.html. The album was created back in 1994. That was the heyday of my high school years so maybe that is why the music resonates with me.

I particularly liked track one and four. One is “Back at Home” and four is “Stand Up.” We are honored to start putting together the 2022 AAP Youth Arts Exhibition on Climate Change and Health, and it’s going to be at a large Hillcrest art gallery and the owner has donated the entire space for the month. We’ve never done anything like this before. But part of the exhibition will be experential and I’m going to ask Eric if we can play Track one and Track four at certain areas in the art gallery. The entire point of the exhibition is to highlight the understanding and perception San Diego County’s children have on the state of the earth, and then the artistic and real prescriptions their pediatricians are doing to adddress this.

My colleague and creative mastermind behind this Dr. AF says we should do an Exhibition Catalouge. I’m all for it! He eve has someone who wants to work on it. So here we go, doing something we have never done before. We need to wake people up and we will do it through the art work of our children and our own creative projects that address climate change as the single greatest threat to our children. If not us, who? If not now, when? And part of the how, is through our own storytelling.

December 6, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’m totally going to get one of these! This one is an adult tricycle with off-road fat tires. I can get a helmet as well. There is a great street on our neighborhood where you can ride it straight to the beach. This makes so much sense, because our son needs a car soon for his senior year. I work remotely anyway sometimes. So he can drive my car and I can bicycle around our neighborhood to do errands. Everything is really close here.

It’s definitely not cheap. For the off-road fat wheels, it is $700. But this will keep me healthy and I like to get exercise by just living life rather than going to a gym. I used to love to run, but this is the perfecr cross training. I can ride to the grocery store and actually get substantial amount of groceries. Of course I will need to get a really good bicycle lock for this one.

We have room in our garage to store this bicycle because we got rid of things we don’t need. This I think we would use a lot. I may go to the bicycle rental place and just try to ride one (if they have this type) to make sure it is comfortable for me. I am so excited!!!

I am actually technically part of the San Diego Bicycle Coalition! So I am going to get a cycle, but the kind of “bicycle” I want. I always knew I wasn’t like other people. So excited!

December 4, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Sometimes technology doesn’t work. I was going to do my regular Secondary Environmental Net Positives Post for this series https://drplasticpicker.com/plastic-picking-round-up/, but the HMO issued iPhone is wonky and I can’t get into my notes section. Oh well. Some higher power out there does not want me to post that post today. I’ll probably post that post tomorrow, or the day after or the month after. That is truly the beauty of this blog (blog beauty is great alliteration), it’s a place to just document this circuitous environmentalist journey I am on.

It’s 456am Pacific Standard Time, and my father in law just came into the dark kitchen. It’s a rhythm we are used to. The rest of the world is asleep, and I sit in the semi darkness drinking my morning cup (now of matcha green tea soy milk latte) and he turns on the stove burner and heats his pot of water for his morning drink. He turns on the stove heat up high, and I always love the beautiful blue of the fire. I know we need to change over to an induction stove, but we are not there yet. We are imperfect environmentalist.

It’s Saturday morning and the world is still dark and I’m grateful for the weekend. Friday clinic went smoothly and the families I care for dropped by many of them for their yearly visits. I’ve been a pediatrician now for 18 years if you include my training time. 18 years is a long time to learn a craft. I’ve been Dr. Plastic Picker now for going on my third year.

I’m going to mostly putter around the house today because Mr. Plastic Picker is working again more overtime, and the kids have their virtual lessons today. I’ll finish some climate projects and I’ve decided to apply for a leadership position outside of our department. I want to grow. But I know not to force things, nature will lead me where I need to go. I have so much hope because I know this blog continues to get 500-1000 readers a day. Someone is reading. Someone is listening. Please smile, because Dr. Plastic Picker does love you because you are part of the earth.

December 1, 2021

by drplasticpicker

Here you come to see the true story of a local litter-picking pediatrician. And the true story is that I find it the utmost amusing thing that I’m all over the internet. I had met up with Dr. Marnie Granados from AAP-CA4 (Orange County) to discuss planning for two big state-wide climate projects. We are co-chairing the AAP California State Government Affairs Expert Committee on Environmental Health and Climate Change. Wow, that was a mouthful. Orange County is also the site for the next AAP NCE, and she is inspired to do a sustainability /climate service project and art exhibition. We had made moves to do something similar in San Diego, and the Philadelphia AAP also but due to COVID both conferences were virtual. We discussed ideas and structure. The meeting was very efficient. 45 minutes and jam-packed. My general impression is that Dr. Marnie Granados (who I have worked with before) is one of the nicest people I’ve met. Dr. Amanda Millstein is also really nice, but she is really busy. She’s in the photo also.

Since I met with my fellow Co-Chair (I have many co-chairs of all the committees I lead inside and outside of work), I just happened to Ecosia search the past AAP California multi-chapter chat and lo and behold, the recording of our talk was up on VIMEO! I watched myself speak last night (in addition to all my nice co-panelist) and I was surprised that I was quite well spoken and I think somewhat inspiring! My story is simple and I tell it only when asked now, but I think it still resonates. That talk had been one of many talks I had given that month, but now that I think about it – it landed well. It had it’s intended effect. The really funny thing is that you can see me adjusting my hair quite a bit and my facial expressions are so odd somethings. I have no filter. But I come to this work honestly and with an open heart, so it was really fine. I do look at times tired though, which I think I was. Kind of plays into the character of the former burned out pediatrician. I dyed my hair that day though so I look really young!

The one thing I did well in that talk was include the names of many of the people who have collaborated on this journey. It’s important to make sure everyone understands it’s the biggest group project every, saving the earth.

So I’m just really looking forward to working with Dr. Marnie Granados over the course of the year. We are neighbors! OC is just north of San Diego. Our daughter had her hair styled like Marnie Granados yesterday when she went to school, and my mother-in-law said she was beautiful. I think they both are beautiful, inside and out. The funny thing about Dr. Amanda Millstein and myself, is that we often wear the same outfit at Zoom meetings. I think because we are minimalist. That’s my zoom dress and I’m sticking with it. If Mark Zuckerberg can wear the same Tshirt, why can’t I wear the same dress?

November 26, 2021

by drplasticpicker

It’s the day after Thanksgiving and we are home home. In our Southern California home. I have to work today normal clinic and Saturday 830-5pm. It’s extra duty on Saturday and my obligation of being part of our physician group. I get paid overtime. I don’t give away my shifts anymore. I don’t even know why we judge others for giving away their extra duties when others want to work it, but it’s still a thing in our department. The judging. But it’s getting better and I’ve decided that there are few times that it’s productive to render judgement on things like that. There’s Mr. Plastic Picker who is standing in the middle of the tree parcel of our Oregon farm. Over a hundred acres of douglas fir on that side of the parcel, and a healthy stream that flows through it. Both of us, and all doctors, we’ve been judged our entire careers. And sometimes the judging and punishing is inflicted by eachother. It’s an institutional and professional history that dates back centuries really. It’s no use blaming any one person or institution, but it’s important to understand how deeply rooted it is in our professional culture.

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November 19, 2021

by drplasticpicker

It was really fun yesterday. Riley Gilbertson our advocacy intern and I got to stop by to the UCSD PRIME HEq program, and we even had designated parking spots at lot #603 which is the end of Osler Lane! Riley got his spot. Someone was parked in mine! I parked in the pharmacy school’s spot. I hadn’t been at that area at UCSD since interviewing as a medical student over 20 years ago. San Diego is really a big city now.

The UCSD PRIME HEq program is part of a larger University of California program, and each campus (UCLA, UCD, UCSD ect ect) has a different emphasis. I learned this yesterday because my old medical school friend and friend Dr. Luis Castellanos is the director of PRIME HEq at UCSD. He even agreed to be features in my blog about a year ago! Here is the blogpost https://drplasticpicker.com/dr-luis-castellanos-cardiologist-doing-his-part-for-the-environment-7/

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November 18, 2021

by drplasticpicker

We did it! Our HMO green team did it. We gave our internal Ted Talk and it reached 1400 physicians and landed like this beautiful seed bomb onto a mature compost pile. The Green Dragon that is our partnership in San Diego is awoken, and the higher higher ups from region heard it too. We are getting emails and text messages, and things are mobilizing. I know we are pretty “green already” but we all know there is so much more to go. It had to be us. It had to be physicians that are in the trenches and that the others identify with. We shared our stories, and did our traveling show. Dr. RA made sure we practiced, and we pulled at the heart strings. We saw our area medical director get a bit choked up as we interwove physician burnout, physician wellness with planetary wellness and true healing. I was in like this really shy and fetal state yesterday as all the emails and text messages were coming it. Grateful that it landed well and ready for next steps. But wanted to share here, that each of us can do this locally. Experts are important, but I think our group have seen the three of us locally digest and take action and because we are connected – it makes a bigger difference. Green hugs. Our dragon is awoken. You should wake up yours. I like these metaphors.

We had prepared so much. Each slide was a culmination of multiple months of other projects, and thinking and digesting and doing. I think it showed. Our preparation and the body of our work. Now we continue doing. We can’t rest too long, because this is not about us. It’s never been about us. Actually it is about the 1400 physician us, that is our partnership. But it’s not about the three of us. But the three of us did pretty great yesterday. I think it’s okay for me to feel happy. I was feeling shy yesterday, but today I think it’s okay to feel proud. I was somewhat emotionaly yesterday and had to talk a walk at a local wetlands. I was there anyway waiting for our daughter to finish volleyball. It’s right there and easy to get to. So I went for a walk in the wetlands and picked up bag 12/20 this month. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get 20 bags this month. But now that I’m at bag 12, I think I’ll be able to get to 20.

And I forgot. We got to pick the charity this year, and Dr. RA worked really hard to organize the donation drive. We have until December to really get everyone to donate.

November 14, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I’m still not sure how and why it all happened. I haven’t let my virtual and real friends in California know yet, but I will soon. I did tell my friends at the office and the Rady’s residents who were rotating with us. When a big climate and health responsibility and opportunity descends upon me, my automatic reaction is to reach out for help. I reach out to those I think can help me complete the task the best, and those that I can trust. I’ve reached out already to one of the upcoming Rady’s chief residents, and she has agreed to help and is uniquely qualified. I know I can reach out to my friend Dr. Dan Spencer, and I think he will likely be the other person who can help. But I’m just letting it soak in and trying to sort out how I’m going to make sure I give this opportunity/responsibility that has been entrusted to me – and do what is best for the earth and for the children that we are responsible for. Because all of this is for them. We want to give our children and our grandchildren a shot at a liveable planet. The stakes have never been so high.

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November 11, 2021

by drplasticpicker

I was virtually present at one of our Public Health Advsiory Council meetings for Climate Actions Campaign. That advocacy council is growing with plenty of help from other health professionals. I honestly think it might be time for me to step back as they are concentrated on very important local wins, but I’ve been asked to be part of state wide advocacy efforts within the AAP. I’m struggling a bit with that decision, and had a slight headache because of goodness-work overload. I had to take some motrin last night (which is rare) and quietly read a poem by Walt Whitman our son recommended.

But there were several moments at the meeting two nights ago, that were so powerful. My children are older, teenagers both now. The picutre above is my daughter at one of the moments when her littleness and beauty were so overwhelming to me. Where did the time go? How quickly have the years passed? Really all this climate work is for her and all our children. I check in with her to see if we as a family are doing okay. I was at volleyball last night and eventhough multiple work phone calls intruded into our time, we got through it and I was there to drive her. She was okay with it, and we had a very nice dinner all four of us. If dinner ran a bit later into the call, I would drop that call. But it worked out. We got to volleyball, got to dinner, and I got to that last call – without the sense of rushing.

But there was a moment when my friend Dr. RA was also calling into the call and her daughter said in this beautiful small voice “Come into the light mommy, come into the light.” Dr. RA was standing in the dark in front of the house, trying to patch into the advocacy call. And her daughter beckoned her into the warmth of the family. I saw my friend Dr. RA the next day, and I told her that moment was so beautiful. She also I know is doing this work, standing in the dark in front of her house for her children and all the children that she takes care of.

Just one of those moments, and so many climate and health advocates are physician mommies with young children. “Come Into the Light Mommy, Come Into the Light.” The voice of our children beckoning us home.