Dr. Latimer: A Tribute

I am organizing a memory book in honor of Dr. Latimer. Children and parents may send along a note, picture or photo and I will assemble into a book for the family.

If you would like to contribute to this effort, email me for further information at refluxmom@gmail.com or send to:

Jan Gambino/Reflux Mom

P.O. Box 171

Arnold, Maryland 21012

Many thanks,

Jan

After someone dies people will say wonderful things about that person. But, I have spent the last 10 years telling everyone I knew with a child with reflux about Dr. Latimer. He was a one of a kind doctor.

At my first visit, I was surprised that after weighing my 9 month old, we were put into a room and told that Dr. Latimer would be in shortly. I thought someone had made a mistake since I had filled out none of the "normal" paperwork on family history, child history, etc. Shouldn't someone have asked me this before I got my 30 seconds with the doctor? I was already anxious about being there and I was thinking this was not going anywhere fast. So in walks Dr. Latimer and he asks me to tell him what's going on. I start talking very fast because afterall I knew my time was short. Well, my short time wound up being 1.5 hours! I couldn't believe it. Dr. Latimer had the quiet patience of a psychiatrist. Since he wasn't talking I just filled in the void with my nervous chatter. After an hour of my talking and him taking notes he says "Well,....." Here it goes I'm thinking (fearing more likely) he's going to tell me she's gaining weight and breathing okay so she's fine take her off her meds and that'll be it. Instead the sentence ends. "She obviously has reflux." Whew. Thank God. Then he spends half an hour outlining a new more aggressive plan than her pediatrician was willing to give. We went home and my baby finally started to feel much better.

We went on to see him regularly for medication tweaks, upper endoscopies, upper GI etc. He cautiously broke the news to me at 2 that she was unlikely to outgrow this. Little did he know I had already become okay with that idea. We never spent less than an hour at every visit we had until our last visit when she was 4 and she had "outgrown" her need for meds for the time being.

My second son saw Dr. Latimer as did my niece. Every visit was equally pleasant with Dr. Latimer sitting there quietly taking notes while I filled in the silence with nervous chatter about their symptoms. When my sister took my niece I wondered if she would feel the same about him as I did. My niece brought food allergies to the reflux table but once again, Dr. Latimer proved to rise above and shine for her as well as my children.

This spring my now 10 year old daughter is back on meds for a year now. I knew all along that Dr. Latimer was right and that the medication reprieve would not be too long. We were glad to get the 5 years off of them. With the news out about long term use of PPIs and bones, I made an appointment to see Dr. Latimer again. I was surprised after 6 years she was still in the system. I looked forward to his knowledge and comfort with dealing with long term medicine usage in a child. Unfortunately we will never see him for this visit.

I am feeling selfish. I realize that my loss of a great doctor pales in comparison to the loss for his family. I only wish his family knows how much he has meant to my family. The comfort he brought to a parent in need of knowledge. I need him now again and I feel like I am back to the beginning starting new with someone else. Fearing the new doctor will tell him "She's fine." and think I'm a nut for looking at the research.

The loss of Dr. Latimer is a great loss to the pediatric GI world here in Maryland. His shoes will never be filled.

I just heard the news today when I called to get my daughter an appointment with Dr. Latimer.  He will surely be missed in our family.  He was the only doctor that could find out what was wrong with our little girl.  Dr. Latimer we miss and love you so much.  I know God has gotten another perfect angel.

The Young Family