Jim Gaffigan happy to be wife Jeannie's caretaker during brain tumor battle

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Jim Gaffigan is honored to have been his wife's caretaker after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor — and said she's recovering beautifully, even if she's not back at 100 percent just yet.

"I think society tends to view things from recovering like a common cold. Like you're sick and then you're better," the comedian explained to People. "But the reality is when you deal with the removal of a brain tumor, you're sick and then there's a long road back and the possibility of not getting to 100 percent. So I would describe my wife at 80 percent. But her 80 percent is like most people’s 120 percent."

Jeannie underwent surgery to remove a six-centimeter benign brain tumor in spring 2017, after which Jim looked after her — and they maintained their sense of humor throughout the entire ordeal.

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"She's doing great. It would be insensitive to say that she's back to normal," Jim, 52, explained. "She's charging back, but for anyone who's dealt with a medical emergency, there's still [the] reality that she has to deal with."

"Being a caregiver is a great honor but it's also an incredibly stressful, ongoing experience," Jim said helping Jeannie with her recovery. "It's a privilege to take care of someone, especially someone who took care of you. It was also a positive example for my children to see me in a caregiving role."