Photos: 1) I borrow my daughter’s oxygen tank to relieve a headache the morning of day 2 in Lhasa; 2) we carried the oxygen tank on our trip into the mountains “just in case;” 3 and 4) Chinese herbal remedies many people use to relieve symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness; 5) We attracted a crowd of nomads, who watched with interest as our daughter breathed from her oxygen tank in the car as we paused on a particularly high mountain pass; 6) We reached an elevation of 5020 meters or about 16,500 feet to visit the magnificient Karula Glacier.
From a parenting perspective, we have been preparing for our trip to Lhasa, Tibet, which sits at an elevation of 11,400 feet, for years. When our daughter was three, we consulted with our pediatrician in the US, “Can we – should we – take our daughter to Tibet?” He told us – given the standard precautions – it would be fine. A year later, our Hong Kong pediatrician concurred. Anecdotally, friends said, “Children have a much easier time than adults – don’t worry!” Still, at the last minute, we decided – my husband and I – to take Diamox, a medication that helps alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness. Our reasons were twofold: first, to make sure we were well in the event our daughter wasn’t; and second, to ensure we were able to enjoy our short trip to the fullest.
Prior to our trip, our doctor explained the three types of altitude illnesses including Acute Mountain sickness (AMS), High Altitude Cerebral Edema, and High Altitude Cerebral Edema. The first is the most common and the least dangerous. Symptoms of AMS include headache, insomnia, irritability, dizziness, muscle aches, and fatigue, to name a few. In terms of the second two illnesses, she advised us to drink lots of water and be on the watch for disorientation, stumbling or breathlessness even while resting. And with these words of caution, we were off!
We arrived in Lhasa to a brilliant blue sky; however, as I breathed the fresh air and admired stunning views, I noticed my little daughter begin to wilt. By the time we arrived at the hotel, Elisa was moaning and listless. My husband carried her to our room, and we watched as her condition deteriorated. Within a couple of hours, we discussed taking the flight back to Beijing the following day to ease our poor daughter’s misery. As evening descended, and we noted a low grade fever, we decided that Elisa needed to go to the hospital.
While Elisa’s symptoms pointed to AMS, as opposed to anything more serious, we felt helpless and far away from home. The concierge at the hotel graciously told us he would accompany us to the hospital and went out to find a taxi. No less than 30 minutes later, he returned with a cab.
After a bumpy twenty minute drive, we arrived at the hospital, where my first inclination was to leave – immediately. The patient room where we waited was dimly lit and there was a large puddle of water in the middle of the cement floor. The doctor walked in wearing army fatigues under her white jacket and pulled out a mercury thermometer to take Elisa’s temperature. I had brought our digital thermometer and offered the results instead. (Of course there is nothing wrong with a mercury thermometer, which I used throughout my childhood, but getting my daughter, who had never seen one, to participate in this endeavor seemed unnecessary).
In the end the doctor told us that Elisa’s condition, despite appearances, was not that bad. We declined the blood test, and she sent us home with a prescription for Chinese herbs and advice to put Elisa on oxygen until she stabilized. Because altitude sickness is so common in Tibet, our concierge quickly supplied us with an oxygen tank when we returned to our room. Within 20 minutes or so, our daughter was herself again, and by the next morning she was fine. We agreed she was well enough to stay in Lhasa for the duration of the trip – and she proved us right.
Our only other run in with AMS was when, three days later, we ascended to a glacier – at an elevation of 16,500 feet – where Elisa began, once again to suffer. We quickly pulled over and – much to the interest of the nearby locals – brought out the oxygen tank. Once again, she felt better almost immediately and was able to cross the pass without a problem.
In answer to the conflicting statements we heard before going to Tibet, “children adjust quicker than adults” and “children suffer more,” my husband and I would say that both are true. Elisa endured AMS – for about six hours. By our third day, she was comfortably running up flights of stairs as her parents panted behind her. So, will we take her on another high altitude vacation? Sure – when she’s 18 and/or we’ve recovered from our fright. In the meantime, fortunately, there are plenty of other places at more hospitable elevations to visit.