AIBU to worry about sending ds skiing with heavy cold?

[waterfallrainbow]

My dear ex is driving me crazy again. Rang him to say that ds has a heavy cold and I am worried about putting him on a plane, let alone sending him skiing. 'I skied with pneumonia' he pipes up brusquely, 'And I'm certainly not claiming on the insurance.' This from the man who has a permanent bronchial condition. (He once told me that it was caused by Satan eating his brain and that he had caught it from me, but we'll leave that discussion for another time...)

My (main) worry is that my son will get more ill on the plane. Don't blocked sinuses make your ear drums burst with the pressure? He's travelling on Friday night and it's Thursday morning. What to do? They have been looking forward to this trip for months.

My secondary worry is that my ex will take my son skiing far too far. Last time they went they bumped into acquaintances of mine who particularly took me aside to tell me that they had skied a very long way indeed. They also completely forgot to eat. Hanging on to the fact that stepmother is also going and is moderately sensible, plus ds is fairly used to his father's eccentricities and knows how to look after himself. He is 12.

[Kiroro]

I mean, it sounds like your Ex is a bit of a dick but I wouldn't NOT go on holiday because of a cold. He will be better in a few days!

Pack him off with some cold and flu drugs, lots of tissues and some snickers bars to keep in his pocket and eat if he gets hungry and Dad doesn't stop for food.

[TheReturnoftheSmartArse]

I'm not medically qualified but would imagine that the risk of your DS getting more sick on the plane are minimal. I travel extensively for work, am prone to colds and sinusitis, but have never got sicker due to a plane journey.

As for skiing "far too far" ... I'm not sure what you mean by that! Is that even possible?! Your DS is 12 so tell him to keep a bar of choc in his pocket for emergencies and I'm sure he'll be fine.

I think you are BU but understand that you're worried about your child going away without you.

[blueskyinmarch]

I am sure he will be fine on the plane. I have flown on with sinusitis. At most it is uncomfortable but nothing exploded in my head.

I would equip him with some sort of decongestant medication plus the usually paracetamol/ibuprofen. I would think the cold fresh air will be very good for him.

Pack him some cereal/nutrition bars for taking with him for sustenance while he is out skiing. Then let him go and enjoy himself.

[samG76]

I wouldn't worry. DH often goes skiing with some cold, and the freezing try air tends to kill off the bugs, so he arrives home much better.

Don't worry about skiing too far. It's downhill or on lifts, so he's unlikely to exhaust himself. He'll just sleep better at night. DH and DCs sometimes sleep 8pm to 8 am when in the resort! No apres ski for them!

[chitofftheshovel]

If you have any cotton wool you could wrap him up in that. Very warming.
Be glad your ex wants the involvement and has the funds to take his DS on holiday, he'll have a great time.
And how can you ski too far?

[TheProblemOfSusan]

I've just been skiing with a heavy cold and it was fine - I wasn't on top form but it was still enjoyable and the cold dry air helped me be less stuffy.

It is reasonable to worry about someone taking a newer/less good skiier too far btw - it's hard exercise, skiing, and whilst it's downhill you still have to do a lot of work to stop yourself going too fast and falling, especially if you're not as strong a skiier as the rest of your group. And some resorts are vast!

That said, the average 12 year old I've seen on the slopes is considerably better than me so it may not be an issue!

I would pack him off with cereal bars to shove in his sallopettes in case of hunger and make sure he knows all the emergency numbers for the resort, reps, etc.

[welshweasel]

He'll be absolutely fine. As others have said, a dose of decongestant before flying and a stash of chocolate bars. We often didn't stop to eat when we were kids on ski trips, skiing is far more fun and chairlifts are made for snacking on!

[waterfallrainbow]

after they had skied a remarkably long way (long enough for locals who know the area well but know me only slightly to take me aside and mention it in slightly concerned tones 2 months later), he was laid low with bronchitis and missed 2 days skiing plus days at home afterwards.

Chronic bronchitis (the agonising kind that keeps you permanently bedridden) runs in the family.

[ThePiglet59]

You're right of course.
He should stay at home with mummy.
Look at all the well documented cases of young men/boys dropping dead from a cold. You read about it every day in the papers.

[Penfold007]

If you think your DS might be too unwell to fly get him to the doctor today. If not tuck some cereal or choc bars in his bag, he can put one in his pocket before going skiing. If DS is well enough to travel he will be with his other parent and the mountain air should actually help his sinuses.

[Elizabeth1970]

12 years old can vary greatly in confidence and so on - what does he say, does he want to go and feel capable of looking after himself for the most part if his dad is unable to?

[waterfallrainbow]

good idea about the cereal bars!

[LIZS]

He'll be fine. Ds went to the mountains with bronchitis and felt much better for it. Send him with some decongestants and tissues to keep his sinuses clear.

[upperlimit]

Does anybody here posting in mocking tones have any experience of chronic bronchitis? Because it utterly debilitated my Dad until it played a leading role in his death.

[waterfallrainbow]

upperlimit quite! My aunt was bedridden for 20 years, and it hurt her every time she took a breath. The one piece of advice she gave me was; never travel with bronchitis, you will get much more seriously ill, and avoid cold damp air like the plague. My uncle also died of bronchitis. In my experience every time I go skiing I get bronchitis, which is the main reason I never go. If you're lucky the air is nice and dry, but often it snows and then the air is thoroughly cold and damp. I don't want to wrap my son in cotton wool, and the air in Switzerland is probably a lot better than here in London, which is why I'm not sure what to do...

[BastardBloodAndSand]

Get him some sudafed nose spray. That stuff is amazing.

[LIZS]

At this time of the season the air is likely to be clear and sunny, bit nippy first thing. As long as he remembers to clear his sinuses and pop his ears (sucking a sweet or chewing on plane and in gondola/cable car) . It really shouldn't affect him adversely, unless there is an underlying issue like asthma. Remember there were sanatoriums for tb etc in the Alps. There are also excellent chemist shops in CH if they need advice.

[upperlimit]

I don't think the problem is him going, it's that you aren't convinced that his Dad would alter his plans and take action if it gets worse. I can see why you are concerned.

[welshweasel]

Chronic bronchitis is generally caused by smoking/occupational exposure. Bronchitis in 12 year olds is very rare. Viruses affecting the upper respiratory tract are exceedingly common. Occasionally an URTI may lead to a LRTI (chest infection), but this is nothing to do with travelling or exposure to mountain air. I think you're coming up with excuses here OP.

[Penfold007]

OP is this the rye bread and breatharianism ExH? If so then you'd be right to get DS checked out and if fit to travel supply him with appropriate medication, snacks and a phone.

[Lunde]

I don't think that the plane or skiing is a big issue with a cold - but you could give him some decongestants or nose spray if you are worried.

You could also give him some cereal bars or chocolate for energy.

DD2 has severe asthma that requires daily medication but has always participated with the outdoor winter sports PE schedule at her Swedish school that involved cross-country skiing between 10-30km. The only thing I ever withdrew her from was the ice-safety training (Isvak) where the kids jump through a hole in the ice to train escape techniques

[upperlimit]

I'm not sure what your point is Welsh except that it sucks to be an outlier? When the OP said her son had bronchitis when he came home last time I believed her.

I have a trail of non-smoking relatives with bronchitis but also asthma. I've never smoked either, unfortunately it doesn't keep the bogeyman away.

[Parker231]

Does your DS have a heavy cold or has he been diagnosed as having bronchitis?

[trixymalixy]

Are you really, seriously going to stop him going on holiday for a cold?!

Travel insurance would not pay out for something so trivial.

[waterfallrainbow]

Yes, I'm not looking for excuses to keep ds home! I've been hoping my ex would take him skiing for months. Yes, Penfold 007, it is indeed the one and only breatharian, rye bread cowboy.

I vaguely remember being denied the right to fly once at an airport because I had sinus problems. But it may have been ear related. Anyone know?