A 65-year-old railwayman who fell into a coma (from an accident) in communist Poland regained consciousness 19 years later to find democracy and a market economy.... Polish media reported on Saturday.
Wheelchair-bound Jan Grzebski, whom doctors had given only two or three years to live following his 1988 accident, credited his caring wife Gertruda with his revival.
"It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it" Grzebski told news channel TVN24.
"For 19 years Mrs Grzebska did the job of an experienced intensive care team, changing her comatose husband's position every hour to prevent bed-sore infections," Super Express reported Dr Boguslaw Poniatowski as saying.
"When I went into a coma there was only tea and vinegar in the shops, meat was rationed and huge petrol queues were everywhere," Grzebski told TVN24, describing his recollections of the communist system's economic collapse.
"Now I see people on the streets with cell phones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin."
Grzebski awoke to find his four children had all married and produced 11 grandchildren during his years in hospital.
He said he vaguely recalled the family gatherings he was taken to while in a coma and his wife and children trying to communicate with him.

I don't know if you caught this story but it really blew my mind reading it. Talk about a new world view. You want a accurate picture of the differences between communism and democracy this is the guy to go to. Being in eastern europe we hear all these stories about the first big box stores opening and people walking in turning around and walking back out because the option to choose is just too drastic, or how saturday was market day and everyone went to the main market and stood in lines all day just to get the essentials to get through the week. Times sure have changed and continue to change. Take Erd our city for example in the year that we have lived here we have gone from no large scale grocery stores to two huge mega big box retailers, is this a good thing well yes and no. Construction is booming, well ok sorta booming, highways and railways are being upgraded to meet the new EU regualtions but Erd continues to be a dirt road mega town and our new swimming complex which happenings to be right across the street from us well remains closed even though contruction is complete. Why? well there is no money, they spent millions building the thing but have realized they have been spending money they don't have and now can't pay for employees to run the place and this is kinda a picture of the country, money is being spent all over the place but at the same time the government has said they cooked the books and there is no money and so they tax the people, house gas prices alone have been raised 50-70% alone nevermind a slew of other things and schools/hospitals are being shut all over the country, so how is Hungary doing? thats a good question. Better than 15 years ago but the burden especially upon the poor in the country side is really over whelming and is driving many to wonder how they will survive if the country continues in it's path. So pray, that leaders would lead responsibly that they would look to take care of those that aren't making it and that people would see as we put our hope in man and government we will be let down and failed but rather people would see there is one who we can put hope in and we will never be let down.