macular degeneration
"Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Karen M. Gehrs, M.D. from the University of Iowa used the childhood toy, the Lite Brite to explain what having AMD is like. Basically, having macular degeneration is like losing pegs from the picture on a Lite Brite. Each time you lose a peg, it's like a cell dying. If you lose cells randomly, you can still have a good idea of what the picture is. In the more severe forms of AMD, you'll lose patches of pegs. That can make the original picture harder and harder to decipher."
"Living with macular degeneration is like looking out from behind a sort of optical eclipse."
METAMIA is a free database of analogy and metaphor. Anyone can contribute or search. The subject matter can be anything. Science is popular, but poetry is encouraged. The goal is to integrate our fluid muses with the stark literalism of a relational database. Metamia is like a girdle for your muses, a cognitive girdle.