now that’s a nice feature

the researchers at the Yale University used a kind of rabies virus called vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to kill human tumor cells implanted into mice

and it works, tumor cells get attacked and die while normal cells do not react with the virus

read more about it here

There’s a reason I’ve been watching so many health documentaries these days. I’m about to have a nose surgery in like 10 days, February 6th.

Now, the procedure in normal countries is to get admitted to hospital, get your blood tests etc. there and then have the surgery.

Here, in Serbia, things go the unusual way

First, the hospital gave me a list of 10 things I have to finish before going there. And they told me to do it about 10 days before my surgery date.

So today, I went to my general practitioner to get papers for those tests.

For all of you who don’t know what Serbian general practitioner visit looks like here’s a brief introduction.

The patients queue about an hour before the building opens. While the building still has chains on the doors.

They queue because there are so many of them and the worst day is Monday because all of them waited for the weekend.

Surprisingly, today there weren’t so many people present and I was called in after only 2 hours of waiting. Usually I wait like 3 or more hours. That’s because I don’t get so early like the rest of them, I do not like to fight for my position to see the doctor

Next, while waiting I got to see this crazy man that knocked on the door of at least two doctors asking about his personal record card. And he did that multiple times angering doctors and later the nurses.
You can see wackos like him all the time there.

Next I got to talk to an old man, now “enjoying” his pension. I found out he was a doctor but now, since he isn’t active any more, no one gives a damn about him being a doctor before.

With all of my papers, I tried to schedule a time to have my blood test and urine. My operation is on February 6th and they told me to come on February 4th. I get my results on February the 5th and I don’t have time to see a cardiologist that hospital told me to see

Some people in the hospital told me to go to a private cardiologist. Why would I do that when I have my health security beats me… Unless… maybe that was their intention from the start, to make me pay for something I should get for free.

When I came to hospital to schedule some tests (of those 10 they gave me) I saw a lot (I mean A LOT) of depressed faces all around. People were either depressed waiting forever in the lines (I would describe them like on the verge of suicide) or they looked evil trying to fool, cheat on anyone so they can finish their job there. An awful site to see, and I’m about to have a surgery there?

Sometimes I don’t realize how brave I am

Anyway, my nose job is only functional, I almost can’t breathe on my right nostril and the left one is only slightly better. I’m sure I’m not going to pay for the cardiologist before the February 6th so they will either postpone the surgery or make something happen, we’ll see…

BTW There’s nothing wrong with my heart, it’s just one of their 10 tests they require

Oh and I almost forgot. When returning from the hospital I got to the local supermarket to buy some food. And there’s this old lady talking to me while I was passing by her. WTF? Excuse me but I don’t know you? Then, as I went to pay for my stuff she was right behind me. She started bothering the cashier lady and then me with her personal problems.

And that’s really the picture of Serbia today. Lots of wackos walking the streets, doing crazy stuff, lots of depressed people, some people in black suits with dark glasses in fancy cars and some people like me asking themselves wtf is wrong with these people and this country…

You do not want to get sick. Really, you better not get sick.

Because if you do, you will find yourself in a network probably designed to suck the money out of your pockets.

I’ve heard of people who got sick and of medical people that do not want to treat them or take care of them as they should because they say their wages are low. So then, those people have to bribe the medical staff to show an interest in a patient. This is in Serbia.

Now, this documentary tells us how big pharmaceutical companies work.

How they make the “Me Too” drugs that are almost the same as the old (with some added things that really make it not much different) and they aggressively market it after their previous product patent is about to expire.

And when testing medicines, they do not have to prove that that medicine is better than the previous one, they just have to prove it is better than nothing, better than that sugary thing half of the people get in testing.

This documentary is full of data like these. Check it out here.

I love mint tea

I drink it every day, usually late at night before going to bed. No sugar, just the tea. It’s really cheap but I’m thinking about getting some leaves in the summer just for fun.

Today I found a good YouTube clip on mint tea

Check it out