Talked to GI specialist

Dr. E, the GI specialist we had a consultation with last month, called and said he wants us to bring Cooper in next week to sit down and discuss the options regarding next steps. He's out the rest of this week and he's booked solid next week but is putting us as priority for the first cancelled appointment that comes up next week. He didn't question me about the fact that he wasn't notified while Cooper was at the hospital, but he was generally crotchety. I spoke with Dr. Mike afterward (b/c I had some follow-up questions) and he agreed that this guy has a reputation for a not so good bedside manner but he knows his stuff. I mentioned to Dr.Mike that we'll want to get a 2nd opinion to confirm or deny whatever Dr.E recommends and Dr.Mike thought that was a good idea and gave me the names of the other 2 pediatric GI specialists that he likes in the area.

Bob and I were talking about what kinds of changes or environmental influences might have contributed to Cooper aspirating formula. The incident seems to coincide with the timing of switching his formula AND starting to use level 2 nipples (faster flow for 3 month old babies and older) on his bottles. I asked Dr.Mike if a faster flow nipple (level 2) would be a possible culprit for this and he said no and that if the nipple were to cause that then Cooper would have serious swallowing skill issues that we'd have been aware of long ago. That made me feel a bit better - I was sitting here thinking that I may have caused this to happen by making his bottles flow faster! ;0. I also asked him if we should do anything special since Cooper has all the diarrhea and he recommended getting a probiotic from the pharmacy - it's over the counter powder that can be put into his formula. I'll go get that tonight. Lastly, I asked Dr.Mike if Cooper should be under any activity or environmental restrictions and he said no. Obviously though, if the smoke from the fires in the San Fernando Valley makes its way over to us then I'll have to keep him indoors. Dr. Mike does not think that the formula switch would cause the aspiration pneumonia either - he's pretty confident that Cooper had a bad reflux episode and swallowed it down the wrong way and the fact that he's a swallowing refluxer (not a spitter upper), his risk for this happening is higher.

I've made arrangements to get copies of Cooper's chest x-ray and hospital record to share with Dr.E as well as the 2nd opinion doctor that I need to schedule a consult with after we see Dr.E. Meantime, we continue with the nebulizer and antibiotics and lots and lots of prayers and positive thoughts that his lung clears up quickly and that this doesn't happen again.