Back in February, I got an email from a person who works for the TV show The Doctors asking me if I would be interested in talking to them about my hyperemesis gravidarum. I emailed back with answers to the questions, happy for the opportunity to help raise more awareness for HG. Then the producers called me and interviewed me, and after a few more phone calls they scheduled a film crew come to my house to film me, Mike, and even Annabel.

Luckily, on the day the crew arrived I was having a fairly good day, sickness-wise. The producer asked me a ton of questions, then interviewed Mike about being the partner to someone with HG. After all the questions, we were filmed playing with Annie, and they got some really cute shots of Annie talking to my belly.

Annie loving her brother

When I thought they were done, the producer said, “Actually, we were hoping to get a few more shots…have you seen how we do reenactments on the show?” And I was like, “Oh, sure, okay.” Totally not even realizing what they would need reenacted.

It started innocently. “We’d like a shot of you eating and then putting the dish down and running to the bathroom.” Okay. Seems easy.


Then the producer was like, “I want to film you opening up the bathroom door and running in.”

…okay. Getting a little weird but fine.

Then he said, “How about you opening the toilet lid and bending over?”

Obviously this is where the rational part of my brain shut off. BECAUSE I DID IT.

or this
I like that they put REENACTMENT in bold letters over the “vomiting” scene.

He had me film that over and over…and you know, when you have HG, you can only pretend to vomit so many times before you actually do it. That footage was hopefully burned.

or this.

What’s that photo? Oh, just me laying on the floor of my bathroom. As I am wont to do when a camera is at my house.

I can't believe I did this
I am seriously reevaluating my life choices right here.

After the producer had enough footage (pretend and real) of me the crew left, and a few days later Mike, Annie, my mom, and I went to their studio to film a segment with the studio audience. It was cool getting professional hair and makeup done (I think Mike enjoyed his makeup application, too), and everyone that worked on the show was really nice. The producers were going back and forth about having Annabel be a part of the taping, and they decided at the last minute not to include her. She seemed bummed for like five seconds, so a producer told her she could have all the cookies she wanted from craft services, and she got over it real fast.

I’ve been to a few TV and talk show tapings (the perks of living in LA) but it was a different experience all together seeing it from the front row…and then seeing my lovely reenactments for the first time along with the entire audience. I pretty much wanted to melt right into my chair.

So maybe you’re thinking, “Heather, when is this comedy sketch going to air?” Well, it aired yesterday. I didn’t know it was airing until it already happened, but luckily The Doctors puts all their segments online. Watch and laugh:

And that is the beginning and end of my career as an actress.