Jimmy McAdams was a patient at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital who had a rare brain tumor.
History
Diagnosis
Jimmy was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a type of brain tumor. Derek Shepherd was supposed to operate on him, but then his plane crashed. Because no one else would attempt to operate, Jimmy waited until Derek had recovered to have surgery.
Surgery
By the time he was able to get his surgery, Jimmy was experiencing severe headaches and was so dizzy that he could barely stand up. Scans revealed that the tumor had progressed, which increased the risks of the surgery. He decided to proceed anyway.
In surgery, they to to test his facial function continuously. His face twitched throughout the surgery until after a bleeder. They wouldn't know until after he woke up if they had paralyzed half his face. However, after he woke up, he was able to hear and his facial expression was symmetrical.
Relationships
Familial
Jimmy's sister, Carla, took care of him while he was waiting on his surgery. She said that those months were the best of her life.
Notes and Trivia
- His cousin sent him a jumbo cookie before surgery, even though he wasn't supposed to be eating. His sister ended up eating it.
- His surgery was scheduled for 8 AM.