Surgery Progress Report

Updates have been a bit difficult due to our busy schedule.

The Pre-op visit on Monday revealed that the retina is intact. This will simplify the procedure significantly and the retina specialist will no longer have to be involved. The procedure was set for Wednesday at 1:00 PM at the Doheny outpatient clinic in Los Angeles. The procedure will last 3-4 hours and will be recorded for both media and personal use. After the procedure William will not be able to see until the unveiling on Thursday.

Wednesday: Dr Shamie indicated the procedure went as planned. William is back at the hotel room and resting comfortably. He goes in Thursday at 9am to the Doheny eye clinic in Beverly Hills for the big reveal! Then we will see if he can really see any more or not…

Thursday: The Reveal. The eye patch was removed at approximately 9:45 AM. Dr. Shamie dimmed the lights and asked William to look at the eye chart across the room. He saw an F, an E, and a B. Dr. Shamie turned up the lights and asked William what he could see. “I see Edges! There is a sink, and a desk with 3 drawers. I see a computer monitor. The edges of the door are so sharp!”

William is able to see more then at any time in his life. The challenge comes in being able to make sense of all the visual information. His greatest triumph so far is being able to read text messages on his phone without magnification. Dr Shamie explained that his vision may continue to improve as his eye heals and his brain gets used to processing the massive amount of information now available to him. For the time being, William is content with the current success of the procedure.

William Madison to undergo a once in a lifetime procedure

Through a generous offering by Dr. Neda Shamie and the Doheny Eye Institute, William Madison will undergo a special eye surgery to replace his diseased cornea. This procedure will take place in early May. This is a ground breaking surgery due to the rare nature of the disease. See the following links for a description of the procedure and a bio of Dr. Shamie:

http://www.doheny.org/Bios_MD/Physician%20Profiles/ShamieNNew.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoprosthesis

Help Support William Madison and Blind Insight LLC!

Substantial funds and resources will be required for travel expenses. This is a great opportunity to show your support of Blind Insight LLC, and William Madison! Any photography purchases made on http://www.blind-insight.com from now, until May 5th, will be used directly to support William in this endeavor. Additionally, a portion of the purchase price will be donated to Doheny Eye Institute to support others with similar vision issues. Please help us defray the cost!

Watch for further updates and potential media coverage

We will update Facebook and the blindinspiration blog as events unfold. We are glad to have you be a part of this. Become a fan on Facebook and spread the word!

http://blindinspiration.wordpress.com – Blog

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Insight-LLC/115701401776734?ref=ts Facebook page

About Blind Insight LLC

Blind Insight LLC & William Madison have expanded. In addition to Visually Impaired Photography (VIP), we have updated our business model to include facets such as Home Financing through Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Personal and Small Business Legal Protection through Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. These additional offerings strengthen the Blind Insight brand by complimenting the inspirational with the necessary. Please take a look at our new website http://www.williammadison.com and experience our new offerings.

William Madison’s art photography is being shown at the top of the Columbia Tower!

Situated in downtown Seattle, the Columbia Tower is Seattle’s tallest building and the tallest west of the Mississippi. The Columbia Tower Club is located on the 75th and 76th floors, at the very top of this majestic building. This private club has the best views of the city and has an exquisite restaurant and lounge. Exclusive artwork from select artists all over the Northwest is routinely exhibited for sale on the walls of the club. Access is by invitation only, so if you would be interesting in seeing and purchasing my quality art pieces, a visit can be arranged. Access to the restaurant may also be included if so desired. Please contact me for more information.

additionally, I am featured in the July edition of the Columbia Tower Club newsletter that you can access from the below link: http://www.clubnewsmaker.net/columbiatower/index000445496.cfm?x=bh511Fd,bjDPp4tP

Seattle Galleries updated, Associate Galleries added.

A major update to the website has been completed and all of the galleries have been updated with fresh artwork. Additionally I would like to announce that I have created a new Associate Gallery section with art photography from my friend Dan Krivulka. While my art focuses on the Seattle area and Pudget Sound, Dan’s artwork focuses on the Oregon and Washington Coasts and includes sunsets, coastlines and lighthouses. Please join me in welcoming him to my gallery by visiting the Associate Gallery at http://www.blind-insight.com/associates

There have been a few questions

I have been asked a few questions about the process I go through to capture my photography.

Q: Wow these are really cool! How do you do it?

Lighting and good contrast is critical and what I work with the most. Through the viewfinder of my camera, I try to capture more than just a picture, I try to capture an emotional moment frozen in time. Sometimes I get what I’m looking to express. Sometimes I don’t. And, sometimes I get much more depth of feeling then I was expecting.

Q: I noticed some of your pictures are taken from inside buildings. What buildings do you shoot from?

I have a season pass for the Seattle Space Needle. I also shoot from the Metropolotan Tower penthouse level on the 32nd floor. I have also shot from the Columbia Tower observation deck on the 73rd floor.

Q: I like some of your sunset pictures. How do you adjust your camera so it makes the water so dark?

I shoot using a Nikon D80. The automatic setting adjusts the shutter speed and aperture for me. I also use the night/cityscape mode to enhance the colors and contrast.

Q: How do you capture some of your pictures at night? Mine always turn out blurry.

Some of mine turn out blurry too, I just discard those and patiently keep trying. It takes a very steady hand (or a sturdy tripod and remote shutter trigger) to get this effect. The camera’s shutter has to stay open for a very long time to get that powerful glow.

Q: You say you are visually impaired. How poor is your vision, and how do you know exactly what you are looking at when you take your pictures.

I have 20/500 vision in one eye. I was born with an extremely rare genetic defect called aniridia which essentially means I have no iris. Since the iris not only controls how much light enters the eye, but also the fluid pressure in the eye I also have degenerative glaucoma. From an early age I have used technology to overcome my impairment. I watched TV using a telescopic lens. My computer has special software to allow me to enlarge the screen up to 16x its normal size. But my camera is a different story. A lot of what I capture is purely by chance. I have a good idea of what I am pointing my camera at, and what the quality of the lighting is, but I can’t see the details until I enlarge the images on my 30” monitor at home.

Welcome to blind-insight.com

ABOUT US
Achieving what you want and breaking the rules is not only fun but rewarding.

Mr. William Madison learned this truth early on. Most individuals with visual impairment and degenerative glaucoma would be content
to live out there days quietly reflecting on their plight and collecting that ever present social security hand out.

This was not his course. He courageously endured multiple surgeries in order to save what vision he could and continues to push his doctors to
find alternative procedures. In order to live a life that bordered on normal he had to expend incredible energy. His efforts paid off. Shortly before
getting Married he landed his first real job at a restaraunt as a host. Sensing additional opportunities he began seeking a different path.

Unfortunately, in the winter of 2002 his situation took a turn for the worse and he lost 50% of his already limited vision. This required another
lifestyle change. He almost gave up. This time it was his association with his friends that pushed him to keep going. They knew what he was capable of.

They wanted him to succeed.

Landing a job with a call center specializing in high end automobile customer support. William realized
his calling was to cater to the well to do because they seemed to have no limits. He liked that attitude. Due to shifting priorities, the corparate
overlords cancelled their contract with the call center. It was time to move on again.

Sensing his attraction to those with financial stability, William turned his attention to a medium sized insurance company. But, discrimination rears its ugly head.
He quickly acquired his insurance sales licence and was ready to get started. But his management assumed that he could not learn to use a new insurance sales
system that was in the process of being installed. He had proved in training to be highly capable at using most data input systems. He was let go unfairly without
being given a chance to prove himself.

In the Summer of 2008 William and his wife moved to Seattle,WA in the heart of downtown. His time had come. He could be independent.
He began to succeed.

He landed a Lucritive Sales position with a well known auto dealership in their internet sales division. Since his Place of work was only a few blocks from
his apartment he developed a comfortable routine. An urban warrior lifestyle.

In the spring of 2010 he sensed he could do even more. He took a leap of faith and began Blind Insight LLC.