The Birdhouse

If the compass breaks,

then follow your heart

And I hope it leads you

Twenty people who were blind or on the verge of being so have had some or all of their sight restored thanks to a food industry byproduct — pig skin.

Researchers from Linköping University and LinkoCare Life Sciences AB were able to give the group their vision back with a special corneal implant made from medical-grade collagen from porcine skin, a purified food industry byproduct that's used in FDA-approved medical devices for treating glaucoma. The implant was given to those who suffer from diseased corneas, the outermost and transparent layer of the eye, an issue that affects millions of people worldwide.

Along with limited donor availability, the typical treatment, which requires doctors to surgically replace a cornea and sew it into place, also risks graft rejection, healing complications, infections, astigmatism and the need for long-term support. The new method, however, allows doctors to insert the implant into the existing cornea, requires no stitches and incision is minimally invasive with either an advanced laser or by hand.

"The operations were free from complications; the tissue healed fast; and an eight-week treatment with immunosuppressive eye drops was enough to prevent rejection of the implant," a press release for the study states. "With conventional cornea transplants, medicine must be taken for several years. The patients were followed for two years, and no complications were noted during that time."

James Pradier, 1790-1852 and Salvator Marchi, active Paris 19th Century

Vénus à la coquille, 1844, plâtre patiné, 23.5x15.5x16 cm

The statue on the island i live on called the fisherman's wife.

treat mundane activities like grocery shopping as adventures

make playlists for every feeling you can feel

give yourself quiet days to read and pass time slowly

keep a journal, a nonperfomative place to express yourself

reduce your screen time; use your screens mostly for inspiration

create more than you consume

have a place where you can run free and feel the wind rushing