WIBU to fly abroad with pneumonia and DC with a chest infection?

[OreoBiscuitPie]

We are due to leave on Wednesday to go to Canada. DH’s sister lives there, he hasn’t seen her for 15 years and has never met his niece and nephew who are 11 and 4. There’s a long complicated story as to why it has been like this but basically his family are from a poor country in Eastern Europe, managed to emigrate to Canada eventually, but DH’s mum couldn’t get residency so they all got deported and essentially banned from the country, the sister was allowed to stay as was an adult had a Canadian partner by then. DH was only a teenager at the time. After years of fighting with the Canadian immigration system and an appeal involving an immigration lawyer we managed to get the ban overturned so he can finally visit his sister for 2 weeks. We don’t earn particularly well and it took a lot of saving.

We’re going with our 3 year old. This trip has been planned for 2 years. Sod’s Law, we all caught Covid about a month ago. DH recovered very quickly. Me and DD recovered quickly too but have since both developed chest infections. It seemed to go away then come back. DD has been checked out at a walk-in centre a few days ago and now on treatment, she is recovering and only has the lingering cough now and no temperature or chills but she’s still not 100% herself.

I went to GP yesterday to finally sort myself out. I’ve had the cough, green mucus and headaches etc but I’ve not bothered about myself as I’ve been so worried about DD. With her finally on the mend I’ve finally found the energy to get myself seen. GP didn’t like sound of my chest and sent me to walk-in centre where I was diagnosed with fucking walking pneumonia. Advised by doctors that it’s not recommend to fly but that if absolutely necessary then I can.

I was so excited to meet DH’s sister and kids and vice versa. DH desperate for his daughter to meet his sister. I feel as though we have to go, and I want to, but my family are worried and telling me not to. I feel there’s no choice. We’ve been advised we’re not contagious to others. In a way I think it might help me recover as we’ll be guests so I can take things a bit easy and have someone cook for me, not be cleaning or cooking etc like I would be at home, so maybe it will help me recover? AIBU?

Surely you have travel insurance?

Already know travel insurance wouldn’t cover it sadly, but completely fair enough. I know it is quite idiotic to go.

DH’s sister and her partner have booked the 2 weeks annual leave especially, that’s all they get for the entire year. And their kids would be back at school if we went later in the year. It’s a huge pain in the fucking arse. Can’t believe it. Covid still ruining so many things for us years later. I’m quite angry. I got it from a twat at work sneezing in the canteen.

This is really bad advice - you shouldn't fly with pneumonia, it can be very dangerous.

🙄

how can you be so sure it was from someone sneezing in your vicinity?

Why won't insurance cover?

It wasn't advice.

God no. One of my dc ended up in hospital with pneumonia that triggered a rare auto immune disease that really set them back in so many ways. Not worth the risk

I'm stunned your travel insurance doesnt cover you having pneumonia...
What does it cover if it doesnt cover that?
And who is your insurer so we cant avoid using them!

I'd definitely phone again and try leaning on them to see of they will budge or do something for you.

Re: airline I would also try and find cheaper dates if you are flying in Jul/ Aug its peak season surely?

Us / Canada hate people.taking annual leave so id be amazed if they cant cancel their leave and move it.

Whatever I did i would fly with pneumonia

Good.luck sorting it out

Send dh with dc and see if you can reschedule your flight if your pneumonia hasn’t cleared up in time for Wednesday.

You need to reschedule OP. Pneumonia is extremely serious, but you're acting like it's just a cold and you'll be fine. What will happen if you get to Canada and end up in hospital? What if you get on the plane, get airborne and become really ill? I can understand your utter frustration and misery about the timing and bad luck, but it would be crazy and completely irresponsible for you to get on that plane. You need to reschedule your trip to give yourself and your DD time to recover at home first.

Don’t be stunned

it’s totally reasonable

it will cover pneumonia

what it won’t cover is a traveller knowingly travelling with pneumonia having been advised by medics not to. It is “pre existing”

Fair enough, that was the wrong word. But even if she feels better in a day or two, she shouldn't fly - if she gets complications on the plane it could kill her.

If you go and you need medical treatment you risk the chance of not being covered

You also need to update your insurance of any recent medical appointments where you needed treatment ( this is a condition of my policy ) and I think it’s fairly standard in most travel insurance policies

basically if you go and you get ill your highly likely not to be covered on your insurance

Because he had told is a day prior his medical worker girlfriend had Covid.

Sorry what I mean is insurance wouldn’t cover treatment out there. To be honest I haven’t considered that they’d cover us not flying, my head has been all over the place. I’ll look into it. DH will be heartbroken though. Second failed attempt to go

DH shouldn't have to miss out just because you're sick. He should go alone, as upsetting as it is for you.

Because OP will knowingly be traveling with pneumonia. Insurance would cover it if OP got pneumonia whilst out there, but not a pre existing condition, unless agreed with the insurance company in advance which is unlikely to happen.

in addition to your health
now you are contemplating being contagious and doing the same to people at the two airports as well as the plane and presumably DHs sister and family.

Apart from the fact you would be risking the health of everyone else in the plane by knowingly going with a serious illness, the medical risk to yourself is huge.

Cabin pressure plus pneumonia could a huge number of issues. The least of which would be forcing the infection deeper into.your lungs.

You have been advised not to fly, that should be enough for you to be covered by your insurance.

Reschedule the trip.

Please don't go. Your travel insurance would not cover either an inflight emergency (cabins are not pressurised to sea level, so if you're only just coping now, you could easily drop your oxygen levels), or if you deteriorated over there. It's not fair. It really sucks. But try to claim on your insurance for not being able to go, and then rearrange.

Do you not have travel insurance?

Sorry, I meant "why wouldn't insurance cover you cancelling or rearranging flights because of pneumonia".

I wouldn't risk it if you have no insurance for treatment out there. I nearly died from pneumonia a few years ago, completely out of the blue. It's terrifying if you start to struggle with breathing and your SATs drop. Send them then get a plane in a week yourself. Hospital treatment would be huge.

In terms of being contagious we’ve been advised we’re most likely way past the point of being a risk to others. Still not pleasant for folk to be around us though

If travel insurance is in place before an incident that means a person is certified as unfit to fly happens, it should cover the need to cancel. Maybe for the OP there is a Covid (and Covid related illness) exemption in the policy.