Possible chicken pox on holiday

[Hmmmbop]

More a WWYD:

On holiday with 3mo and 3yo (and DH). Flight yesterday was cancelled due to strikes so we are already in a bit of a predicament. We have been given flights home tomorrow and are currently trying to entertain 2 kids in a shoe box hotel room in the middle of nowhere.

Yesterday 3yo came out in spots. The local Dr took a look (he happened to be at a local pharmacy) and cannot decide whether it's chicken pox or a reaction to mosquito bites (husband has also been bitten, I haven't). DS is under the weather but could also be over tired- we've had a lot of late nights.

Do we:

A) go back to a Dr for confirmation one way or the other and if it is CP stay in a hotel room for a week (DH would have to fly home alone due to starting a new job), so would be me alone with 2 small kids so would have to take 3yo to supermarket etc.

B) put long sleeve clothes and trousers on 3yo, presume it's mosquito bites and just get on the plane?

C) something else?

We have insurance but they won't cover lost earnings etc and we have to pay out and claim back.

This sounds like a nightmare OP. I really feel for you. Has your other child had CP? If not, you may find that they also break out in spots - the incubation period is 14 days - just before you're about to leave.

Can you order any entertainment/games etc to be delivered to your accommodation? (Eg from Italian Amazon). I'd be tempted to stock up on colouring books, Uno, jigsaws etc. Whatever you need to keep them amused while you're stuck indoors.

This happened to us a few years ago. We took our DD, then two, to a doctor, who gave us a letter saying she’d be ok to fly from a certain date (I think it was about four days after the outbreak of the spots, which was three days after we were supposed to be flying home)

EasyJet changed our flights and we had to pay the difference in cost, but they waived the ‘transfer’ fee and it wasn’t massively expensive (less than travel insurance excess)

I flew home alone as was pregnant at the time and needed to get back for scan appointment. DH’s work we’re rea lovely and gave him the extra days off for ‘free’. We were also luckily staying with my SIL, so no extra accommodation costs and DH got a few extra fairly nice days of holiday out of the whole thing, despite it initially seeming like a massive ballache.

14 days sounds excessive - I’d have though 5-7 days. Get him in the sun to let the spots dry out. Go out for walks in isolated areas/times.

As a pregnant woman who is not immunised, I'm glad the airline refused to fly your dc.

Why 14 days ? He'll be crusted over well before then ?

How awful op!

This won't last forever though and soon you will be home.

I think the idea of ordering stuff is a great one. Maybe even a cheap tablet.
(But not Uno for a poorly 3 year old).
My DS literally came out in CP spots on a flight home (got on with one or two on his neck, got off covered).

14 days? Have they re-booked your flight home for 14 days' time? You other DC could have caught it and be covered in spots by then. Keep him out of the sun as the doctor recommends and as soon as the spots have dried up and he's no longer contagious I think I'd jump on the train. 14 days is a long time to be in a caravan with two little DC on your own when you've booked it, planned it and brought plenty of stuff to do, but when you have nothing with you and a poorly DC that means you shouldn't be interacting with anyone else is a nightmare! for you OP.

Apparently head & shoulders (the standard one) is really good for helping the itching. Put it in a bath (if you have one)

Blimey,poor you OP. That's a nightmare. I would have completely freaked out if I had been in your shoes. Are you near enough somewhere to buy food,drink etc? X

Get an amazon delivery to the campsite. Buy a kids kindle, that anti itch stuff, some books and toys. And as soon as he’s feeling up to it, send him to the kids club. He’s not going to be either feeling ill or infectious for the next 14 days.

It's 10-14 days, 7 days from when they are scabbed over.

Already considered a delivery and DH is looking in to that from home (may even have done it I'm not sure).

I am worried about DC2 getting it in the time frame and being here longer.

Sorry that it’s rubbish for you but it really is best that you were refused boarding. I know you say he will infect more people on the way their and back but you’re failing to account for the fact that plane air is recycled making infections spread much quicker and wider. Hopefully it clears up quickly and you can get home.

7 days from scabbed over is not standard. My DD got cp just before a holiday and was cleare d to fly on day 10 from first spot (which was the scheduled flight date). We were due to be away a week but Ds got cp on day 4 and was not allowed to fly home, however he was cleared to fly a week later which was 10 days from first spot and just a couple of days from them scabbing. Normally once they are scabbed and dry they aren't contagious. As others say, if you give it 2 weeks from the date of infection, the danger is your other child will get it (though as an exclusively breastfed baby this is much less likely than a toddler, assuming you have had CP).

Can't believe anyone would even try to get their child on a plane while covered with CP!

It really is best that you were refused although I know you don't see it like that right now! Honestly just try to relax and make of it what you can. My ds had cp last week and we were stuck in, although he played it in the garden every day and his spots are almost gone. Let him play outside I say, get some sun. I gave ds a salty bath morning and night, he didn't get itchy but I did use virasoothe on him twice a day I don't know if that helped.

Btw the absolute best thing for my kids' pox was oats in a sock in a warm but not too hot bath. The oats leech a really soothing creamy liquid and they can use the sock to rub gently to relieve the itch a bit.

OP didn't have a choice Kokeshi

If DC2 is only 3 months then unlikely to get it, DS was in a nursery at 5 months and didn't get it when all the toddlers had it, as apparently too young, he got it instead when he was about 3.

Get your other child vaccinated now if you can?

Ah no I think 3 months would be too young. Sorry - what a crappy situation.

Have you had CP OP?

The same thing happened to us on holiday. We were cleared to fly as soon as all spots were crusted over (5 days for us).

Europe will be blasé as most dc are vaccinated. It rarely does cause issues so risk-wise it is low risk. Not ideal but go with airline policy rather than mn jury.

What a shitty situation op. I hope your day is feeling better soon and the spots scab over quickly, so that you can at least enjoy the holiday park a little bit and even send him to the kids club.

Your DH must have felt rubbish about having to leave you all as well. I feel for you!