Pictures can be deceiving .....

.... especially these ones.These were taken last night when Caitlin and Danny stopped by on their way back to San Diego.Zoey was so darn cute.She really put on a show for them.However,there was much more going on than meets the eye.As I have mentioned in a few posts,Zoey has been battling nasty allergies while inpatient and what is now,finally,being acknowledged as a a cold.Hello??? I have been trying to tell someone,anyone who would listen,that there was so much more going on.But as usual,I'm just the parent,no degree and therefore have no idea what I am talking about.Oh sure,to my face I am told I am my child's best advocate and a partner in her care but the bottom line,behind closed doors,I know nothing.Or at least nothing they want to hear.So today,after documenting ALL day long the downward spiral of my daughters health,maybe now someone will listen.And trust me,they will listen from now on.I just received a call from Mark and Zoey has Pneumonia.Yep,after begging for someone to do something for my child who was coughing up a lung,along with her feedings,we have confirmed Pneumonia .... not allergies.Well,sure glad they went to medical school and not me,the ever present, overreacting, nagging mother.What do I know?Now what about the parents who obediently listen to those they have put their complete faith in caring for their child,no questions asked and in the case of our hospital,with an eighty percent Hispanic population,there comes a major language barrier.What about them?Mad does not even come close to expressing how I am feeling.Disappointed beyond belief and if anyone out there knows me,this does not end here.Tomorrow another 4th floor rampage.This is a matter of life and death.No exaggeration. No dramatization.Plain and simple truth.We insisted they do a swab for RSV.Not that it does us any good at this point but what about the countless others that have come in contact with Zoey over the last say,week and a half?I would have thought that the moment they saw Zoey had a cough and runny nose that they would do whatever was in their power to prevent a spread of a potentially life threatening virus to run through our floor.Simple proactive response not reactive.Let us not forget the NORO virus that shut our floor down at the first of the year due to blatant mishandling of initially infected children.So tonight I sit here thinking what good did it do me,or rather and more importantly do Zoey,to keep the medical staff, entrusted to care for Zoey,up to date with changes I saw in her?What about the children that do not have their parents there?I have the benefit of having had Zoey born into crisis and basically revolving from one thing to another over the last 2 years and I know her like the back of my hand.what about parents who do not have the experience and the wherewithal to see subtle signs?Negligent care by medical personnel costs lives.I will be darned if I will stand by and allow anything to happen to this precious child after her fight for life over the last two years.Especially due to lazy,sub par medical care.Sorry folks but I am beyond, beyond.An angel was watching over Miss Zoey today,along with some divine intervention.You see this morning when labs were drawn Zoeys ANC went up instead of down.Not the right direction of course but in this case,the presence of Neutrophils allowed the Pneumonia to be seen.If she were neutropenic then it would not have been seen and we would be shooting in the dark with various big gun antibiotics.Tonight the prayers need to be flowing.Zoey needs to kick this thing,quickly.This round is already taking a lot out of her and the road is bound to be long until we see daylight to round 4.Scared?Not really.Frustrated?More than you could ever possibly know.Most important thing now however is Zoey.I will try tonight to flip my frustration to some positive vibes and powerful prayers.It's midnight and I am going to turn into a pumpkin so it is bed for me.Update tomorrow.