My Uncle

I just found out that my Uncle Mietek, my grandma's son, right now is at the hospital and under a difficult surgery. He had been feeling bad lately and had two seizures in the past month.

About eight years ago, walking home late at night, Uncle Mietek got hit by a car. The driver ran away, leaving my Uncle bleeding on the side of the street. He was found the next morning and taken to the hospital. He stayed in a coma for several months. After when he finally woke up, Uncle Mietek was never the same. He had memory loss, couldn't speak, couldn't walk (one leg was much shorter), his lungs were punctured, his head badly injured, and more. He almost lost his life... It was difficult for all, as Mietek was always the most fragile one of us. I always loved him because he was the only one of the grown-ups in the family who was nice and caring to me when I was a kid (so was of course, grandma.) After the accident he went through different treatments, but because of lack of the money for medical help, he remained handicapped. His memory came back, but not the ability to function well. His brain and his leg were too injured during the accident.

Because of the seizures and bad headaches, few days ago his doctor send my Uncle to take some tests. It turned out that he has, among other illnesses, Hydrocephalus (I took it from Wikipedia: a condition in which abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain causes increased intracranial pressure inside the skull. This is usually due to blockage of CSF outflow in the brain ventricles or in the subarachnoid space at the base of the brain. The elevated intracranial pressure may cause compression of the brain, leading to brain damage and other complications. There is no cure.) The doctor send my Uncle to the hospital and ordered a surgery, but my Uncle refused. He was scared. They were supposed to implant some plates that will help with drainage of the fluids from the brain.
Well, I just found out from my cousin Agnieszka, Uncle's daughter, that this afternoon Uncle signed the papers and they rushed him into the surgery room. By the time I finish this posting they should be done. I am just hoping that everything went well...

But there is one problem. My Uncle has a drinking problem, and with his condition and those implants he cannot drink anymore. If he was by his full mind, he would know how dangerous this is. Either way, it is bad. He had to go through this surgery to stay alive, but now having this done, he is in danger again. Nobody can convince Uncle Mietek not to drink. He doesn't understand. Oh, gosh, I am so worried. Grandma is taking it very hard... We all do. There is more to it, his illness, I just don't know how to explain certain things in English.