Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Struggling with this one. DH is sick, chest infection. He's on antibiotics, recovering after about a week. Yesterday DD5 started coughing and runny nose. This morning she's warm, I've given her Ibuprofen and children's cough medicine. We're staying home, hanging out and playing. Thursday we are supposed to fly to visit my parents, brother, SIL and their kids halfway across the country. We are in the US visiting from overseas and will not get back to the US until the summer. My family hasn't seen me and DD since last March. DH is not going - school/work obligations. I am fine so far. Changing the tickets is cost prohibitive and I won't be able to reschedule easily (we return to Europe in three weeks). WWYD? I'm worried about DD, me, her cousins, my parents. I'm worried my family will get upset and in a tizzy if we don't come (they aren't fans of our overseas life and seeing us so rarely as it is). Argh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I wouldn't go. If your daughter has what's going around here, she'll be sharing not only with your family but with everyone on the plane. Feeling better (due to meds) and being better are two different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 That's what I'm worried about too. But if I don't go this week I probably won't get to see them (and them DD) until next summer. They will be so upset. They may think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill and avoiding them, which I'm not. They often minimize illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I would wait and see what she is like on Wednesday evening then make the decision if you are flying on Thursday. There's a chance she might not get it as bad as your DH. Any chance you could go to a doctor and see about starting her on an antibiotic to head off anything so you can travel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Let your family know NOW that they may have to come to you - you really can't take a sick person on a plane and expose everyone to the illness. Or you may expose your dd (and yourself - you may be ill by then, too) to even worse illness from another passenger. DD is more apt to catch something else when she is worn down and sick. If she is congested at all - the pain of take-off and landing may be excruciating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Let your family know NOW that they may have to come to you - you really can't take a sick person on a plane and expose everyone to the illness. Or you may expose your dd (and yourself - you may be ill by then, too) to even worse illness from another passenger. DD is more apt to catch something else when she is worn down and sick. If she is congested at all - the pain of take-off and landing may be excruciating. They will not come to me. I moved away so the onus is on me to visit them, not the other way 'round. Yeah, I know, but there it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 WW*I*D? I would figure it's Monday. Thursday is several days away. I'd continue to plan to go unless my dd was still quite ill on Wednesday night. One of my kids bounced back quickly from those kinds of illnesses; the other seemed to take several days longer to feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 I would wait and see what she is like on Wednesday evening then make the decision if you are flying on Thursday. There's a chance she might not get it as bad as your DH. Any chance you could go to a doctor and see about starting her on an antibiotic to head off anything so you can travel? I'll see what I can do about a doctor and antibiotics. Maybe if a doctor says we can't travel it will be easier for them to accept. Maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 WW*I*D? I would figure it's Monday. Thursday is several days away. I'd continue to plan to go unless my dd was still quite ill on Wednesday night. One of my kids bounced back quickly from those kinds of illnesses; the other seemed to take several days longer to feel better. DD is like your other child. S.l.o.w. recoveries. Which is why I'm worried this far out. And already concerned about our return trip in February. Ugh. The more I think about this the more I think we should stay home, but the geo-family political implications of that decision worry me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I would never even consider canceling a flight for a run-of-the-mill illness. I wouldn't take a vomiting child on a flight, but apart from that only an ear infection would ground us - flying with blocked ears is not fun. I'd get ears checked out by a doctor just before the flight if I was concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Since your husband needed to go on antibiotics, I would think you could call your doctor -- explain your circumstances -- and perhaps start your daughter on antibiotics now. Usually doctors don't like to pre-treat, but in certain circumstances I think they would do it. (We did that with my own daughter recently.) On the plane, perhaps your daughter could wear a mask that they usually have available at clinics to prevent spreading germs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 If she is running a fever, I would take her to the ped. I've been in these circumstances a few times. I was able to catch strep within 24 hours and DD was ready to travel within 36 after that. And if the ped confirms it's just a cold, I would travel. We just took a long road trip and we all had the flu, but fevers were done by the time were scheduled to get in the car and leave, so we did it! It worked out fine. We just took it easy the first part of our trip and by the time we got to our destination 3 days later we definitely weren't in the contagious zone any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Annoying repeat post ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Can't find the thermometer but she is warm. We have an appt. with the pediatrician this afternoon. I'll let you know what he says. This is one of those instances where I'd like to pre-treat as well, so we'll see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 DP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 If the doctor says she won't be contagious at the time of the flight, I'd go. If the doc says she'd still be contagious, then no, I would not go. That is just wrong to expose an airplane full of people to whatever she has. The way airplane air circulates causes those germs to circulate extensively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 i hope the pediatrician is helpful and you end up "good to go". wearing a mask on the plane will help other people. i also treat symptoms quite aggressively, because if i don't, i end up really sick. fwiw, my arsenol includes sudafed, guaifenesin, otrivin nasal spray (why that works better for me than the others, i just don't know), hot showers, etc. really early on, if i think i'm getting sick, i bring my core temperature up as much as i can, usually by using the stationary bike + hot shower, and hope that kills whatever is starting. several times we've been overseas when one of us comes down with something and i just go to the doctor and say "we have to fly in 48 hours. what can you do to help?".... and they always have. i'm not sure what american doctors would do though. good luck, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I'm quite sure other people are not canceling their trips due to illness. Business people keep going and vacations often aren't rescheduled. If she isn't ill with a high fever or horrendous cough I would dose her up on meds and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I wouldn't go. If your dd has what your dh has, she's likely to need antibiotics as well, which will mean a visit to an urgent care center for a wait of who knows how long, in a waiting room full of other colds/influenza, to see a doctor she doesn't know. Miserable child + vacation = even more miserable parent. Add to that the fact that at her age, she may not keep the protective mask on properly during the flight, and that would mean that you're sharing that infection with the other passengers. And you say you're coming back in the summer? If you only visited every few years, that might be different. But your family should understand if you back out because of illness. Nobody chooses to get sick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 if it helps at all, i have a hierarchy of priorities: dh and kids and my health come before just about everything else. so if i ever have to choose, then its easier. that said, maybe you don't need to choose all by yourself. what might happen if you include your parents in the decision. start with, we had dd into the doctor today and he says she must not fly, which means we can't come on thursday. i checked with the airline, and it will cost $800- to change the tickets to next week. we can find 300/400/500 (whatever is true), but we can't find the rest. if you'd like to pitch in, i can switch the tickets to next thursday. if not, we'll skype with you lots and see you the next time we're here. then wait and see what they say. its your real world. they can deal with it as they choose. that may be yucky, but i will cross my fingers that they surprise you! ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 I'm quite sure other people are not canceling their trips due to illness. Business people keep going and vacations often aren't rescheduled. If she isn't ill with a high fever or horrendous cough I would dose her up on meds and go. Thing is, she does have a high(ish) fever and a horrendous cough. 101.8 for the fever. Doctor's appt in 1.5 hours. She just fell asleep. I'm going to hate waking her up, but I need her seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 If she has a fever, not only will she potentially infect everyone else on the plane, but everyone you're going to visit, as well. Common courtesy would dictate that if she's not well by the time you're ready to leave, you should stay at home. Also, her resistance will be low from her current illness even if she's starting to feel better by then, and if anyone else on the plane happens to be ill with the flu (or whatever,) your dd would be highly susceptible to catching it -- and she might end up incredibly sick while far from home and far from your regular doctor. If I were in your shoes, I would cancel the trip. I would feel lousy about it, but my child's health matters more than a trip, and it certainly trumps the feelings of annoyed relatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Cat, you read my mind. That's what I *want* to do. I just dread the flack I'll get from my parents. I'm hoping the doctor orders me to keep her home so that I have someone to back me up. Yeah, I'm a wimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 My ds got sick in the middle of the night before a morning trip across country to see family. We canceled. I'm so glad we did as I got it too. We both spent 5 days in bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 What did the dr say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Checking to see how your daughter is, and to see what the doctor said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I'm checking for an update, too... not that I'm nosy or anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 :grouphug: Wondering how she is doing? Also want to say that I really understand your situation because I am in a similar one. Any chance of dd staying with dh and just you visiting your family this trip? I go once a year by myself which is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Sorry, had to tend to the patient. She's negative for flu and strep, at least for the moment. The doctor thinks it may still be flu. When I asked about flying Thursday he just glared at me (in his kindly way). We'll make a final decision Wednesday but it looks like we're staying put. Don't know when or how we'll reschedule. Thanks for all your input - it's wonderful to have all you to bounce things off of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I'm glad your doctor is making it easier for you to stay at home! I hope your dd feels much better soon!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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