Patrick Dempsey Visits

First of all, Bailey's day started out rough. They started the new medication at 7:00 this morning; did an echo at 10:00; increased the medication; and did another echo later in the day. It's making her sick. She was vomiting this morning and had a pounding headache all day. They say her body should get used to the medication and the symptoms will wear off. I'm hoping it's already happening because she just ate a piece of toast and that's the first she's had to eat all day. She slept a lot today, too. What better thing is there to do than sleep when you don't feel good?

Late this morning, I received a call from my niece, Mallery. She was so excited to tell me that her dad, Brian, my brother-in-law, called to tell her he was sitting across from Patrick Dempsey at the track in the suites. Brian introduced himself to him as Bailey's uncle. He knew right away who he was talking about. Then! She said she and Debbie, my sister, got to talk to him on the phone. It's my understanding that Mallery nearly hyperventilated and couldn't even speak - that's when she handed the phone to Debbie. He told Brian that he was going to come by and meet Bailey tonight after the track closed. So, Mallery called us to let us know for sure when he was coming. Isn't that amazing? On the busiest day at the track, my brother-in-law runs in to Patrick Dempsey. So, we begin to tell everyone here at the hospital that he'll be here tonight. But then . . .

Dr. T calls me on a nurse's phone in the hallway around 1:00. He said Patrick isn't coming tonight, he's coming at 3:30 this afternoon. Dr. T has been scheming all along to trick Bailey. (Isn't he ornery?!) Anyway, Dr. T said the camera guys are going to come by and we are to tell Bailey that they are going to film a field trip on the train before Patrick gets here tonight. As she's interviewing with the camera guys, the plan is for Dr. T to bust in the door and tell her to hurry up, we don't have all day, etc., etc., etc., and Patrick Dempsey is going to be following him in (like any other resident does) in complete doctor garb, and he's going to see how long it takes for Bailey to notice who it is. I was a little concerned that it might not work too well since she's feeling sick, but we decide to go for it anyway. So, I tell Bailey the "scoop".

So, 3:00 or so rolls around and Brian (from the camera team) comes in Bailey's room and takes me in the hallway. He says, "He's here. You wanna come meet him?" So, we turn the corner down a hallway, and there's Patrick Dempsey standing at the end of it. He was such a nice guy, and in on the secret, and ready to pull one over on Bailey. So, he starts getting dressed in scrubs, surgery hat, etc., and I go back to Bailey's room so I won't look too suspicious. Boy! It reminded me of trying to keep the Pacer's game a secret! It was tough!! And it was tough not to smile the whole time too!!

The camera crew comes in about 10 minutes later to film "the field trip" but they want an interview first, so they interview Bailey about what's been happening this month of May while they've been at the track. After 10 minutes or so of interview, here comes Dr. T. He busts through the door, "Come on! Let's go! We don't have all day! Let's take a field trip!" [Patrick following him in and quickly turns to the other side of Bailey's bed and has his back turned to her - he happens to be staring at all the pictures she printed off the internet of him from his past movies.] Bailey yips at Dr. T, "I can't go anywhere now!" He yips back, "Why not?" "Because I'm hooked up to that thing!", as she points to her new IV medication - all in a not-too-happy-with-you tone. They bicker for a minute, and then Patrick points to the pictures - still with his back to her - and says, "Who's that?" She turns around and says, "Patrick Dempsey", in a you-idiot-who-do-you-think type of tone. Then he turns around and takes off his mask. I was so excited! I was squeezing Brian's arm and jumping up and down like a true Hoosier! It hits her who he is, and she turns around to me and Dr. T with a huge smile on her red face and says, "You guys are mean!" So, we all have a GREAT laugh over that, and the cameras get them talking together about the Berlin Heart, and she plays him a song on the piano [while he sits on her bedside toilet as a chair!]. Then, after a little while, the cameras leave to give us some time to talk with him alone. He's such a nice guy. He seemed genuinely excited to meet us and Bailey. We talked a bit about his show, "Gray's Anatomy", and about the documentary and how excited he is to be involved in it. Before he left, he laid in Bailey's bed next to her so I could take their picture together. Then Brian told me and Nancy to "hop in" beside them, so we HAD to get our picture taken with him too! He autographed a picture for Bailey, and said he'd be back to visit again before he left town. Then he went off to talk to Dr. T for a while and give an interview with those two together. Dr. T later said that Patrick seemed genuinely excited to be here. And Dr. T was SO proud of himself - as he should be - for pulling it off. He did a great job. Anything he can do to mess with Bailey, he's willing to try it. Haha!! I got lots of good pictures of his visit and will try to post them this weekend.

I'm going to try to go home in the morning and return Sunday, like usual, unless Bailey has a hard time throughout the night with this new medication, but I'm hopeful she's alreading starting to adjust to it. After the second echo, they decided to keep her on the medication at least over the weekend and continue with daily echos to see how her pressures are doing. Ironically, the second echo they took today was immediately after Patrick's visit, and her cardiologist said her pressures were even higher than they were in the morning. Hopefully it was just Patrick-induced and will be better tomorrow.

I'm sorry, Robin, Brittany and Lindsey, for the chaos today. But at least you got to see Patrick Dempsey, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip, huh?!

Well, I feel like I could write all night about the day, but that pretty much sums it up. Hope everyone has a great 3-day weekend and holiday, and I'll catch you again Sunday evening!

Love,
Angie