emPOWERing Wheelchair Users!

A New Record for People Who Use Sip-and-Puff Wheelchairs

2012-01-31T03:29:00.001-05:00

Bill Miller's 224 and 15th 200 Game -- and 585 Series

At our Central Florida Quad Squad Bowling outing on January 28th, I bowled my highest score to date -- a 224 -- which is a new record for wheelchair users who operate their chairs by sip-and-puff (mouth control). I also bowled my highest series of three games -- 179, 182, and 224 for a 585 series -- and the 224 was my 15th game of 200 or better.

Many people have bowled that well before -- but I happen to be a C1-2 quadriplegic who is paralyzed from my neck down and ventilator dependent. And using an IKAN Bowler (which is legit because it's sanctioned by the USBC) I've now had a 200, four 201s, two 202s, a 203, 205, 206, 210, 212, 221, 223 and 224.

Here's the link to my scoresheet and commentary is below:

http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Bill_Miller_224_Story_and_Scoresheet.htm

Peggy, Aaron, and I were the three Quad Squad Bowlers / IKAN Users on this day, and we were assisted by volunteer caddies from LovExtension (Connie, Pat, Nancy, and Linda, who caddied my 224 game:). Peggy did well, considering it has been a couple months since she bowled, and Aaron did well too, considering he was using a brand new ball for the first time. We all had fun -- it's always a festive environment with a combination of caddies, caregivers, family and friends cheering us on.

I started out very well, bowling a 179 in my first game, and having only two open frames (a frame with no spare or strike). I managed to stay hot in game 2, bowling a 182 with just one open frame.

So, after just three open frames out of the twenty frames in my first two games, I actually had two open frames halfway through my third game and was sitting on 77 after the 5th frame. That doesn't sound like a start that would beat my previous high game of 223.

But when you roll six-consecutive strikes, the score adds up fast! :-)

Bowling is always fun, even if I don't score so high. But my goal is goal is to have a 500 (or better) series each time I bowl, which is a 166.7 average (or better). That's pretty solid bowling, because such an average usually requires us to have 8 or 9 marks (spares and strikes combined) out of 10 frames. I say that because we have limited ball speed (6 mph) compared to able-bodied bowlers (adult males usually average 15-20 mph ball speed) and the difference equals less "pin action" at impact. That means it's harder for us IKAN Users to get strikes. So I was certainly blessed to get six in a row.

Though I'm quite happy to have bowled 224, a small piece of me is "kicking myself" because had I made the two single-pin spares in my first and 5th frames, and then finished how I did, my score would've been a 246 -- and would've topped Jon Musgrave's 243, which is the overall world record for wheelchair bowlers bowling dynamically (IKAN style).

See, wheelchair users can be competitive too.

All glory to God.

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 224 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Vent-Dependent Quadriplegic Bowls a 212 and 14th Game of 200+

2011-12-31T03:17:00.000-05:00

Recently at Quad Squad Bowling, I bowled my third highest score to date, a 212, which was my 14th game of 200 or better. That's not bad, especially considering that I'm paralyzed from my neck down and use a ventilator to breathe. I share this to show people, especially wheelchair users, what is possible.

If you're wondering how it's possible, the answer is called an IKAN Bowler, which is essentially a fancy bowling ramp that can attach to pretty much any wheelchair. I'm actually credited with co-inventing the IKAN Bowler, and we got it approved by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) for league and tournament play -- any league or tournament, anywhere -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN Users. Of course IKAN Users can also bowl just for fun, recreationally, too.

You can download my scoresheet as a PDF file (if you cannot open it, download free Adobe Reader HERE).

My strike ball was working well that day, but I had an unusually difficult time picking up spares (which is to say that I missed quite a few "easy" spares that I usually convert) especially in the first game. I managed to bowl a turkey (i.e. three consecutive strikes) which helped me to a 161 in my first game, despite having just one spare.

My second game was the 212. My strike ball continued to work well as I had another turkey and two non-consecutive strikes also. I did much better with my spare attempts in game two, converting all five, including in the tenth frame. I was particularly pleased with that spare pickup because had I missed it, I would've had a 202 -- for the third time.

I'll always be thrilled with any game of 200 or better -- and it's fun to bowl even if the scores aren't so high -- but I really wanted a score that I hadn't bowled before. So picking up the spare in the tenth frame, and following it with 9 pins with the extra ball, that gave me a 212. I've now had a 200, four 201s, two 202s, a 203, 205, 206, 210, 212, 221 and 223.

My third game was not-so-good, especially compared to what I'd just done. Not to make excuses, but I had four splits and also missed two single-pin spare attempts. That resulted in a 136, which I couldn't possibly end on, so I bowled a fourth game -- which could have been my 15th game of 200 or better.

Game four was good -- I actually had four consecutive strikes. So I was certainly in good position to break 200 again, but in the tenth frame, I started my ball out too wide and it didn't come back into the headpin enough. That left me with a difficult spare attempt (4-5-7-8; you can see the setup on the scoresheet) which requires perfectly splitting the 4 & 5 pins, and hoping the 7 & 8 will fall also. I very nearly split the 4 & 5, just barely missing the 5 pin (the ball is just a bit bigger than the space between the two side-by-side pins, but a very accurate shot is required to get both pins). And so I ended with a 195.

All in all, it was a whole lot of fun. I thank my fellow bowlers, caddies, and everyone who was cheering me on, and also those who helped make it possible for a vent-dependent quadriplegic to not only go somewhere, but to physically and fairly compete in a sport.

I'm grateful.

All glory to God.

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

IKAN User Profile: Aaron Parker, Florida

2011-11-30T04:42:00.001-05:00

Aaron Parker has had a lot of fun learning to bowl and improving his game over the last couple of months. My new friend and fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler, Aaron's first game IKAN-style was a 101 on September 10th, which is a good first game. In his second, he had a 124! Not bad for a person who has been paralyzed as a C7 quadriplegic for the last 30 years.

But Aaron was using a house ball, and the problem with that is every time you go bowling, you have to learn how the borrowed ball is going to curve with the different positions we can set it up in (each ball is different). So Aaron purchased a used house ball, which I think is quite smart because you can test as many as you want until you find one that works well for you. And Aaron worked his way up to a high game of 144 -- until our latest Quad Squad outing.

On November 19th, Aaron started out with a 125, then had a 132, and then he got on a roll with a 156 -- a new personal best. But he wasn't done! He kept making quality shots and in game four he actually bowled a 179! His scoresheet is HERE.

What was particularly impressive is that Aaron had only one open frame (a frame without a strike or spare) in his 179 game, and the open frame was a split. Not only that, but just before Aaron bowled his 179, I bowled a 170, and Aaron needed to pickup his spare in the 10th frame, or he would've finished with a 169 (we Quad Squad Bowlers have a friendly competition for high score when we bowl). I was happy to see Aaron bowl so well, even though he beat me.

Here are Aaron's profile answers:

Name: Aaron Parker
Age: 56
Location: Umatilla, Florida
Reason for Wheelchair Use: C-7 Quadriplegic
Onset or Injury Date: 7-1-81
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joy Stick
High Bowling Score: 179
Approx Bowling Average: 125
Typical Range of Scores: first 9 weeks: 100-130; last two weeks: 125-179
Bowling Frequency: Once a week
Bowling Ball(s): Used house ball 15 lbs. 11 oz.
Quote from Aaron: "God has truly blessed us wheelchair users with good enjoyment through Bill and Claude's invention of the IKAN Bowler. Thanks!"

Thanks Aaron -- keep up the good work!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Our IKAN Bowler on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!

2011-10-19T06:53:00.001-04:00

My friend, MGT partner, and IKAN Bowler co-inventor Claude Giguere, will help a young adult wheelchair user bowl IKAN-style on the "Keefer Family" episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- this Friday, October 21, from 8-10 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Edit: you can watch both parts online at these links: Part 1 and Part 2.

From the show's website: "Keefer Family -- The team helps build a home for the family of a man who quit his job to take care of his paralyzed adult son."

If you're new to my blog, the IKAN ("I can") Bowler is an empowerment device for wheelchair users, even power / electric wheelchair users. The IKAN Bowler is sanctioned by the USBC for league and tournament play -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN Users. It's therapeutic, recreational, and a genuine thrill to be able to get a spare or strike for someone who cannot pickup a heavy bowling bowl (i.e. power wheelchair users like me).

We have video on our website, and two sets of pictures from Quad Squad Bowling outings are linked from an earlier blog post.

Essentially ANY wheelchair user CAN BOWL with the IKAN Bowler, regardless of driving method or reason for wheelchair use (SCI, MD, CP, amputee, etc).

See record scores in various categories HERE.

Something you might not realize is there are entities to which tax deductible donations can be made that can help wheelchair users be able to bowl IKAN-style. Contact my partner Vincent Tifer (vincenttifer@ikanbowler.com) for details.

God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Wheelchair Bowling Record for Females with MD

2011-09-30T02:43:00.002-04:00

Peggy Overbey's 179 Is the New Wheelchair Bowling Record for Females who have Muscular Dystrophy

My friend & fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler Peggy Overbey set a new wheelchair bowling record for females with Muscular Dystrophy, bowling a 179 last Saturday. For her scoresheet, click HERE!

We had four IKAN Users -- two girls and two guys -- at the Quad Squad outing, and Peggy & Lilian decided they wanted it to be girls vs. guys (them vs. Aaron and me). Let's just say it was the girls' day.

Shortly after Peggy's 179, Lilian posted a 185, and since we generally use each person's top score of the afternoon for comparison, Aaron and I were in trouble. In Aaron's defense, it was just his second Quad Squad outing bowling IKAN-style. But I had difficulty putting together a particularly good game too. No worries. Congratulations to the ladies -- they bowled very well!

The unusual thing about Peggy's record game, is that she had a very impressive six strikes (including a turkey to start her game and a double later) but no spares. That's unusual because Peggy is typically very good at picking up spares, especially when she's got her "A game." That goes to show the power of consecutive strikes -- they help you accumulate points quickly.

For Peggy's previous best, click HERE.

Keep up the good work Peggy!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Wheelchair Bowling Records for a Female Overall, a Female with CP, and a Female Driving by Joystick

2011-08-31T01:02:00.004-04:00

Lilian Strandlund Enters 200 Club with a 215 -- Setting Multiple Records

At our recent central Florida Quad Squad Bowling outing, my friend Lilian Strandlund smashed her personal bowling best of 189 with a whopping... 215!

In doing so, Lilian also reset her and the records for a female overall, a female with cerebral palsy, and a female driving by joystick. These are legitimate world records in these categories of wheelchair bowling because she bowled them in dynamic fashion with an IKAN Bowler, which is sanctioned by the USBC when used dynamically (for details, click HERE).

For more about Lilian, her game, her scoresheet, and a picture of her fantastic smile after her record game -- click HERE!

CONGRATULATIONS LILIAN! :-)

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Quad Squad Bowling Photos 2011-07-10

2011-07-31T21:49:00.001-04:00

We had five IKAN Users, myself included, at Quad Squad Bowling on July 10th. Youth Group members from First Baptist Church of Umatilla caddied for us.

You can view the photos on Facebook HERE (a Facebook account is not required).

For details about Quad Squad Bowling and photos from an earlier outing, click HERE.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it fun & memorable -- and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Disability Doesn't Stop This Valedictorian

2011-06-30T04:32:00.000-04:00

I'm inspired by, humbled, and honored to know Audrey Winkelsas. We met when she became an IKAN User -- and she recently graduated from high school as her class VALEDICTORIAN -- despite the additional challenges of having Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and using a power wheelchair since the age of two. Audrey also bowled on her high school team, using the IKAN Bowler that belonged to our late Quad Squad buddy Alex McDonald (click HERE for my 2009 year in review which mentions some of Alex's achievements and his unexpected passing).

After Alex's sudden passing, his parents wanted to find another high school student with Muscular Dystrophy (SMA is a form of MD) to whom they could donate Alex's Bowler, and Audrey was a gracious recipient. In the below article, Audrey & her family wanted Alex & his family mentioned, but the reporter didn't, so I'm mentioning it now. Nonetheless, it's a great article, and was originally posted HERE.

If that link expires, you can download a PDF version HERE.

Despite living relatively far away, Audrey has joined us for Quad Squad Bowling multiple times, and as you can read at the above links, she's a phenomenal young woman.

And her story of achievement despite disability needs to be shared.

CONGRATULATIONS AUDREY! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

A New Record and the Real Meaning of Handicap Zero

2011-05-31T05:58:00.000-04:00

Bill Miller's 223 and 12th 200 Game -- and 564 Series

At Quad Squad Bowling recently, I bowled my top score ever -- a 223 -- and my second best series of three games -- a 564. Did you know that I'm paralyzed from my neck down and ventilator dependent? And my that score is a legitimate world record for wheelchair users who drive via sip-and-puff?

All the above is true, and if you want to know more about how, why and/or to see pictures, checkout the below details and this blog entry about Quad Squad Bowling in general: click HERE!

Below I describe the record outing -- and keep reading for the real meaning of "Handicap Zero!"

My scoresheet (and this full story) is HERE.

Click HERE for the direct link to the scoresheet.

We had A LOT OF FUN at our recent central Florida Quad Squad Bowling outing. We had four power wheelchair bowlers / IKAN Users: Peggy, Lilian, Rhonda, and me; five volunteer caddies to help us: Linda, Nancy, Pat, June, and Marguerite -- and additional family, friends, and caregivers too -- a big crowd! And I almost missed the fun because the weather was so bad on our drive over that we stopped for a while and nearly decided to head home.

Anyway, after our weather delay, I was late starting, and Peggy wound up completing her second game and posting a 157 just as I was finishing my first game. A 157 is a solid start to the $20 "Quad Squad Challenge" (my Dad offers $20 to any IKAN User who can beat my top score of the day, which he says is for "ego" control, and I say is for fun and livelier competition:). Some days 157 will be the top score. Not this day.

The real fun started when my beloved caregiver / Aunt Jackie saw me needing to finish strong (with a spare and a good count in the 10th) after I bowled my first ball of the 10th frame. Jackie said loudly, "Hey Peggy, sit up (she was tilting back in her chair) and watch a grown man choke!!!"

Seemingly everyone started laughing at Jackie's comment, partially out of shock! My reply, was "Whose side are you on, anyway?!" It was all in good fun. But maybe that helped me concentrate a bit more on my 1-2-8 spare (the 1-2 are diagonal and close; the 8-pin is a sleeper behind the 2-pin) which I picked up (and looked like I knew what I was doing:). I didn't choke on the last ball either, needing six pins to surpass Peggy's 157 and getting nine to post a 161. And, yes, the crowd, including Jackie, cheered when I didn't choke after Jackie's friendly taunt.

Perhaps all that propelled me to bowl my best game ever in my second game of the day. But it only started out "average" after a spare in the 1st frame and an open frame in the 2nd -- on a nasty 4-10 split, which you can see on the detailed scoresheet HERE.

At the above link, you can see the pin placement for what I had left in the 2nd frame (and all the frames). That shot is possible, but extremely difficult due to the angle at which we must barely clip the left side of the 4-pin in order to get it to cross the lane and hit the 10-pin. My angle wasn't quite good enough, but I did get the 4-pin. Then I followed with two spares, and then a turkey -- three straight strikes! After another spare, I rolled another strike in my 9th frame and said to my caddy, Marguerite, "How about I strike out?"

That's bad in baseball but good in bowling (completing the rest of the game with nothing but strikes). It was partly "wishful thinking" when I said it, but I nearly did it. I rolled two more for another turkey, and had a good chance with my extra ball in the 10th (which appeared to be pretty well placed in the pocket) but my nemesis, the 10-pin, remained standing.

Nonetheless, the result was 223, which topped my previous best of 221 (click HERE for details). To God be the glory.

My goal for bowling, besides enjoying the camaraderie and fun with everyone, is to bowl a 500 series every time out -- which is a 166.7 average over three games. My typical average is about 150, so a 500 series represents some pretty quality bowling (to do so typically requires about 8 marks per game, unless several of the marks are consecutive strikes, which boost one's score much faster than solo strikes or spares).

After the first two games, I had 384 total pins, and thus only needed 116 for a 500 series. After bowling as well as I had, I would've been disappointed if I failed to reach 500 pins. Fortunately, I still had my "A game" for the most part, and posted a 180 for a 564 series -- my second best series ever.

My best series ever was a 570 (169, 206, and 195: click HERE for details).

My bowling performance that day was slightly better overall because I had fewer strikes in the three games, and thus had to convert more spares. But in both that series and this series, I only missed two non-split spare attempts in my three games. That's why they are my best two bowling performances.

But what is my favorite thing about such bowling performances?

Below my name on the scoresheet, it says "Hdcp 0" i.e. "Handicap ZERO!"

Technically, that means we aren't bowling in a league or tournament and therefore aren't using our averages as something called a bowling "handicap" for the event.

However, I choose to view "Handicap Zero" as the number of limitations on those of us who bowl with an IKAN Bowler via our wheelchairs, which are necessary due to significant physical disabilities. Despite such physical disabilities, the IKAN Bowler gives us a fair "playing field" on which to compete (so says the United States Bowling Congress -- and users like little ol' me:).

"Handicap Zero" is also a mindset I choose to use in approaching life. Sure, I'm currently a quadriplegic and thus must do some things differently and require assistance for others, but I can still accomplish much -- WE ALL CAN -- in this game called life -- if we keep a positive mindset and think of what we can do and disregard the rest.

Some final notes on this bowling outing: Peggy makes some spare pickups look real easy. Rhonda is trying to find her bowling "groove" again after not being able to bowl for several months. And Lilian is trying to find her left-handed bowling groove (she recently switched from righty-style to lefty-style for strike attempts). But we all had fun, and Rhonda put the exclamation point on the day as she was the last bowler to finish and did so with a strike in her 10th frame to the sound of many cheers.

Thanks for reading -- and God bless!!!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 223 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Quad Squad Bowling

2011-04-30T04:24:00.003-04:00

Our "Quad Squad" is a group of mostly power wheelchair users who get together in Central Florida and bowl (usually twice a month) using the IKAN Bowler. (The IKAN Bowler is an empowerment device that attaches to the front of almost any wheelchair -- it's fun, therapeutic, and legit: www.ikanbowler.com.)

We usually have between 3-5 IKAN Users bowling, and have had eight at one time. Since we bowl regularly, a non-profit organization called LovExtension (www.lovextension.com) provides caddy help for us bowlers, which gives our caregivers a chance to relax and cheer us on.

See pictures of a Quad Squad outing for free on Facebook or Shutterfly (no account required to view them from either entity).

Here are record scores for various categories of wheelchair users:

http://www.WheelchairBowlingRecords.com

The name "Quad Squad" isn't trademarked or anything, and anyone reading this could start their own Quad Squad group in their area. No worries.

We typically bowl twice a month: on the 2nd Saturday of each month at Classique Lanes in Tavares, and on the 4th Saturday of each month at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages (addresses below). We bowl from roughly 4-6 p.m.

When it's bowling week, I send an email to my Quad Squad Bowling list (I'll add anyone who wants on) to remind and affirm when and where we plan to bowl (I occasionally share additional items I believe are noteworthy also).

Most importantly, Quad Squad Bowling is a WHOLE LOT OF FUN! :-)

If you'd like to join us sometime, contact me via my website (www.lookmomnohands.net). We usually have an IKAN Bowler available for someone to borrow!

Here are the addresses for where we usually bowl:

CLASSIQUE LANES (Bowling Center)

15026 Classique Lane

Tavares, FL 32778

352-343-5333

SPANISH SPRINGS LANES

997 Alverez Avenue

Lady Lake, FL 32159 (Lady Lake/The Villages)

352-750-9440

Thanks for your interest and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Civitan Clubs Use IKAN Bowler to Help People with Disabilities

2011-03-31T23:57:00.004-04:00

The Mission Statement for Civitan International is:

"To build good citizenship by providing a volunteer organization of clubs dedicated to serving individual and community needs with an emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities."

Source: http://www.civitan.com/template.php?t=sr&id=101

Civitan members in Louisiana were excited to learn about the IKAN Bowler and how it can empower wheelchair users (click HERE for how). They have purchased three IKAN Bowlers for use by people in their communities. They also invited our company (Manufacturing Genuine Thrills, Inc. a.k.a. MGT) to attend the International Civitan Convention in New Orleans in July to help spread awareness about our IKAN Bowler, which we are planning to do.

Civitan Clubs exist in many communities throughout the U.S. and World. If you're interested in seeing if your local Civitan Club will help empower wheelchair users in your community with the IKAN Bowler, email my MGT co-founding partner Vincent Tifer at VincentTifer@ikanbowler.com for whom to contact.

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Results of My Surgeries: Healthy but No DPS

2011-02-28T02:45:00.003-05:00

For more on my surgeries, see this this blog entry.

Ultimately our trip for my surgeries was successful, though not as successful as hoped.

The primary successes from my surgeries were: replacing my cardiac pacemaker, getting x-rays of my chest and neck (that I was given to view on CD) and having actual outpatient surgery for my procedures (no overnight stay required, which limited my chances for infection; I just had my three-weeks post-surgery follow-up appointments, and I've healed well with no infections -- thank you God!).

Missing from that success list is implementation of the Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS). Even when inside my chest, with the electrodes placed on my diaphragm, my diaphragm wouldn't fire when stimulated by the DPS. My surgeon, Dr. Michael Cheatham, tried everything -- even calling DPS inventor Dr. Raymond Onders (who trained Dr. Cheatham to do the DPS) for additional suggestions. It wasn't meant to be.

No worries.

Though I could have received several benefits from the DPS, I stand by my statement that I already have a high quality of life and I'm not limited by the vent in the most important ways: speech quality and infections.

For a quadriplegic like me, my ability to talk well is of extreme importance. And if you've heard me talk in person or via phone, I think you'll agree that I speak well and typically clearly, at an appropriate volume (when well hydrated) and with little pause between breaths (thanks to a speaking valve, and due to the ability to initiate another breath sooner than programmed and also receiving fairly large breaths). With the DPS, I was concerned about matching that quality because breaths cannot be initiated with the DPS and the size of breath is smaller than what I receive via vent (quite possibly 30% smaller for me). That could have been mitigated by increasing my breath rate on the DPS, but only doing it could answer that question.

Also, my lack of significant respiratory infections for a vent user is fairly uncommon, and is represented by zero respiratory-related hospitalizations in the 13.5 years since I was discharged from my initial hospitalizations and rehab (knock on wood and thank you God). I'm certainly not saying that my number of infections would have increased on the DPS (it could have, because I'm breathing through 3 filters on the vent, and would have one filter at most on the DPS) but it's hard to beat zero in 13.5 years.

I'm not trying to disparage the DPS; I have two friends in particular who are benefiting significantly from the DPS, and I wanted to try it and potentially benefit from it. But I don't want anyone reading this to think that life with a ventilator is a necessarily bad.

If my diaphragm would have fired when stimulated by the DPS, I would've continued to embrace the challenge of becoming a successful DPS user. But that is/was a very significant challenge (especially when considering everything altogether) that included learning and teaching my caregivers different ways of providing for my needs (for example, it would've placed a port on my stomach where the DPS connected that would've required care, and careful bathing around, etc). Point being, I think that we (as a team) are already good at life with a ventilator, and largely see it as not that big of a deal.

If interested, I could expand on a lot of these points and others.

No worries and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Finally a Surgery Date!

2011-01-24T22:25:00.004-05:00

Barring something unfortunate, I should have my two outpatient surgeries on February 2nd, 2011, at Orlando Regional Medical Center. In one trip to the operating room (for me) I'll have my cardiac pacemaker replaced and also the Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS) installed.

For more on my DPS pursuit and surgeries, see this blog entry:

http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/2010/11/from-vent-to-diaphragmatic-pacing.html

I plan to write a comprehensive post-surgery evaluation of the DPS and my experiences probably in late March, after I've had some adjustment time.

Thanks and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

What's Coming in 2011

2010-12-31T21:39:00.002-05:00

The two main things I want to profile on my blog in 2011 are: (1) IKAN User profiles from people around the U.S. and World, and (2) further chronicles of my pursuit of the Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS).

Wheelchair users around the U.S. and also some abroad, mostly in Europe, are enjoying dynamic bowling with the IKAN Bowler and I want to share more of their stories/profiles here. Many wheelchair users, especially power wheelchair users, still don't know that dynamic bowling is possible, regardless of one's reason for wheelchair use or chair type. Anyone who can safely operate a wheelchair can bowl, and I'm going to share stories of people who are. Some can be found here: www.WheelchairBowlingRecords.com.

Also, if you've followed my blog, you know I've been pursuing an alternative to the ventilators that I've used the last 13+ years which is a diaphragmatic pacing system. I'm (hopefully) getting close to a surgery date. The coordinating doctor for my concurrent surgeries (in addition to the DPS, I'm also having my cardiac pacemaker replaced during the same trip to the operating room) is checking out the possibility of surgery on February 1st or 3rd. So in roughly a month, I could have these surgeries done, but neither date has been confirmed (either is fine from my caregivers' and my perspective).

The goal of my blog is to spread awareness about how wheelchair users are being empowered, in hopes that it could help improve the quality of life for other wheelchair users. So I might also share other noteworthy items here. We'll see what the year brings!

I agree with Charles Swindoll who said, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." May you control what you can and react well to everything else.

Have a healthy and happy 2011 -- and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

From Vent to Diaphragmatic Pacing System -- Part IV

2010-11-30T23:51:00.007-05:00

For more on my pursuit of the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS) see Part I, II, or III.

I've been approved for concurrent surgeries (i.e. one trip to the operating room for me) -- and met the two doctors who will perform them! I also learned more about what the surgeons will actually do.

First, Dr. Duran will replace my cardiac pacemaker. Second, Dr. Cheatham will install the DPS. Then Dr. Duran will return, and they will ensure there's no interference between the two devices (no previous patient has had interference). Both doctors will try to set the respective devices optimally for me (they can adjust the stimulus strength, frequency, etc).

Also, we're going to try doing it as true outpatient, i.e. have surgery early in the morning, and (hopefully) be discharged that afternoon. That's BIG, because it should help limit my chance of acquiring an infection, and the schedules for my caregivers and me will require little altering. My home health agency will help get my blood back to a therapeutic level.

We're trying to setup surgery for January or February (2011) -- stay tuned!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

One of the Coolest Commercials EVER!

2010-10-31T23:57:00.011-04:00

Checkout this YouTube clip for ThinkBeyondTheLabel.com:

Direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV4HUBUMuHQ

Why is that so cool? If you didn't notice, it shows a high-level quadriplegic typing with a mouthstick, and later driving his chair via sip-and-puff (the same method I use). I've seen it air on ESPN (i.e. mainstream TV) multiple times in the last month.

Here's part of the "About Us" description on their website:

"Think Beyond the Label is committed to making the business case for employing people with disabilities. We are a partnership of health and human service and employment agencies with federal grants, coming together to build a uniform national infrastructure and approach that connects businesses to qualified candidates with disabilities. Our goal is simple: to raise awareness that hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense. Employees with disabilities have unique, competitively relevant knowledge and perspectives about work processes, bringing different perspectives to meeting work requirements and goals successfully. Hiring someone who 'thinks outside the box' might be thinking too small when there’s an opportunity to hire someone who lives outside the box."

Source: http://www.thinkbeyondthelabel.com/About-Us/About-Us.aspx

I think it's fantastic that such a resource exists to help both people with disABILITIES and companies benefit from working together.

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

From Vent to Diaphragmatic Pacing System -- Part III

2010-09-30T23:59:00.009-04:00

For more on my pursuit of the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS) see Part I and/or Part II.

If you've followed my blog and pursuit of the DPS, you know I wanted to be using it by now. However, I still don't have a surgery date -- though one could be coming soon. Allow me to explain...

My pursuit of the DPS is slightly complicated by two things: (1) I take a blood thinner medication to prevent blood clots, and (2) I also wish to have my cardiac pacemaker replaced during the same trip to the operating room.

Neither of those two things are all that complicated, however since I have to come off my blood thinner prior to surgery and get back to a therapeutic level afterward, I only want to have one surgery because having two entirely separate surgeries would essentially double the chance that I could develop a blood clot or get an infection. I don't believe that my risk for developing a blood clot and/or getting an infection is very high (knock on wood and with the Good Lord's blessing) however, either of which could be fatal for person like me who is quadriplegic, since our immune systems are fairly compromised (and blood clots can be dangerous for people with fantastic immune systems).

I don't have a surgery date yet because my original choice of hospital (Shands at the University of Florida; the hospital affiliated with my alma mater) will not allow me to have both procedures concurrently, and I'm not entirely sure why. We even asked our state representative to encourage Shands at UF and my insurance company to come to an agreement, but that was to no avail. I think Shands wants to ensure I'm medically stable on my cardiac pacemaker before doing the DPS, however they did not explicitly state that (plus I believe I'm stable now; my pacemaker battery has been dead for several years, and even when working, it's only designed to kick-in if my heartbeats per minute fall below 60, which I was told almost never happens).

Fortunately, Florida has multiple facilities that are DPS surgery approved, and it appears Orlando Regional Medical Center could be the answer. I don't want to jinx it, but both surgeons (Dr. Michael Cheatham for the DPS, and Dr. Aurelio Duran for the cardiac pacemaker) are ok with concurrent procedures and recommended that to their pre-registration department. I'm waiting to hear (hopefully good news) from them soon. Pending approval, a surgery date may be set soon.

So, like many things in life, this has been lesson in both patience and perseverance -- and I will NOT give up, even if ORMC cannot or will not do the procedures together. Somehow, we'll get this done -- eventually. Stay tuned for Part IV...

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

BACK IN LIFE -- Zach Weinstein's Story

2010-08-31T23:58:00.005-04:00

"In July of 2005, Zack Weinstein broke his neck while jumping into the Saco River in Maine. He is now a C5-C6 Quadriplegic. In service to other quadriplegics, we have teamed up with Zack to create "BACK IN LIFE". Our hope is that by sharing Zack's powerful experiences in this film, it may provide others with needed strength in an oftentimes daunting struggle. Runtime: 15 Min."

Back In Life from Smooth Feather on Vimeo.

Video link: http://www.smoothfeather.org/index.php?pg=films

Video alternate link: http://vimeo.com/355371

Great story, great video -- thank you Zach & Co. for sharing!

God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

IKAN User Profile: Ben Lux, Florida

2010-07-31T17:45:00.002-04:00

My buddy Ben Lux is one of the original members of our Central Florida area Quad Squad group. Ben actually had the top overall score for an IKAN User, a 183 on May 10, 2004. Ben isn't able to bowl as frequently as he did back in 2004, but he still enjoys bowling when he can. Aside from bowling, Ben particularly enjoys watching movies and his favorite football team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. But, above all for Ben is his faith: God first, everything else second. Amen, Ben!

Here are Ben's answers to the profile questions...

Name: Ben Lux

Age: 32

Location: Yalaha, Florida

Reason for Wheelchair Use: Quadriplegia

Onset or Injury Date: 7/4/93 Automobile Accident

Wheelchair Operation Method: Sip n' Puff

High Bowling Score: 183

Approx Bowling Average: 100-130

Typical Range of Scores: 80-150

Bowling Frequency: Not as often as I'd like.

Bowling Ball(s): Columbia

Quote from Ben: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson

Thanks Ben! God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

From Vent to Diaphragmatic Pacing System -- Part II

2010-06-30T23:29:00.010-04:00

In Part I, I explained why I changed my mind about becoming a Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS) user. Link to Part I . . .

After deciding that I want to become a DPS user, I took the next steps of contacting and meeting the surgeon to discuss my candidacy, obtaining necessary medical evaluations, and gaining insurance approval.

I met with Lawrence Lottenberg, MD, FACS, who performs surgery at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He thinks I'm a good candidate since I'm relatively young, healthy, and quite motivated. Because I'm on a blood thinner, Dr. Lottenberg said I'll need to be hospitalized for at least two nights: one night preceding surgery to thicken my blood, and one night after surgery to thin my blood back to a “therapeutic” level to prevent blood clots.

I needed to have my heart pacemaker and my phrenic nerve evaluated. My heart pacemaker has a dead battery and will be replaced with a completely new pacemaker. It's a demand pacemaker that only kicks-in if my heart rate falls below 60 beats per minute, which almost never happens. Consequently, there was some debate about whether I need the pacemaker, but since there’s no interaction between the DPS and the pacemaker, why not have it as backup?

So I will have the pacemaker replaced by a cardiologist when I have the DPS surgery. The cardiologists said that it may take three days following surgery to get my blood back to therapeutic, so I'll probably spend three to five days in the hospital.

The phrenic nerve is the body’s natural way of stimulating the diaphragm for breathing. A successful phrenic nerve test helps secure insurance approval for the DPS surgery. But Dr. Lottenberg confirmed that the diaphragm’s ability to be stimulated cannot truly be assessed until the surgeon gets inside, and that the phrenic nerve test often yields false negatives. It can yield a positive, which indicates that my diaphragm is capable of being stimulated, but a negative test doesn’t eliminate the possibility for success with the DPS.

I had an appointment with a neurologist to test my phrenic nerve, but when he found out I had a heart pacemaker, he was not comfortable doing the test. Even though my pacemaker's battery is dead, he said, I still have leads going to my heart and he was concerned about stimulating my phrenic nerve under those circumstances.

After reporting that to Dr. Lottenberg and Dr. Raymond Onders, who pioneered the DPS, Dr. Onders said the neurologist could try stimulating my phrenic nerve only on my right side, to avoid possible interaction with the pacemaker. But that became a moot point when I learned that my insurance company "has now passed protocol for the DPS, thus no prior authorization is needed." That statement was told to Dr. Lottenberg's assistant by the hospital's financial group, and I’m waiting to get written clarification. My understanding is that the surgery will cost more than $20,000, and I don't want the hospital coming after me if my insurance doesn't pay for some reason.

Another insurance issue was trying to get my insurance company to state in writing that my level of nursing coverage would not be decreased when I become a DPS user. Currently I receive 44 hours per week of nursing coverage, and my family covers the remaining 124 hours. For them to cover more would be quite difficult.

I wrote to my insurance company to explain that even as a full-time DPS user, I would still be dependent on a mechanical device to help me breathe, and the rest of my care would essentially remain unchanged. However, the insurance company replied that a "clinical review" would be necessary to determine the level of care I need after I get the DPS.

I wasn't pleased with that reply until I spoke with a Florida friend who has the same insurance company and has been a DPS user for over five years. He told me that he receives 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, of nursing coverage, for a total of 112 hours. He also knows another DPS user with the same level of care and same insurance. Now I'm not concerned about a clinical review and we might even be able to increase my nursing coverage. (For anyone who might have the same concern, Dr. Onders said that no DPS user has had his/her level of insurance coverage decreased, and it shouldn't be an issue for anyone.)

I don't have a surgery date yet, and due to some caregiver circumstances, it now appears my surgery will have to wait until September, or even October. No worries -- it will happen when it's meant to be. Stay tuned for Part III about the surgery.

A PDF file of IVUN's newsletter is below; I'm on page 4 with a nearly identical version of what's written above (except for my probable surgery date / time frame; above is more accurate):

http://www.lookmomnohands.net/objects/IVUN-val2010-v24-3NpAll.pdf

God bless!

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Record for Female Bowlers with MD

2010-05-31T21:15:00.002-04:00

Peggy Overbey's 167 Is New Record for Females with Muscular Dystrophy

Chalk up the new record as a belated Mother's Day gift. At our central Florida Quad Squad Bowling outing yesterday, Peggy Overbey's Mom, for the first time, got to come watch her daughter bowl. And Peggy wasted no time in SHATTERING her previous best of 138 BY TWENTY-NINE PINS!

And to prove her 167 was no fluke, Peggy bowled 165 in her second game! That was impressive bowling, and a fitting gift for Mom. I say that because Mom & family chipped in to buy Peggy her IKAN Bowler for Christmas.

Peggy opened with FIVE STRAIGHT marks, before a split ended her streak in the 6th frame. After open frames in the 7th & 8th, Peggy rebounded with a double (two strikes) in the 9th & 10th and finished with the new record for a female with Muscular Dystrophy, 167.

I actually think Peggy's second game was more impressive than her first, even though it totaled two fewer pins. Peggy had marks in 8 of her 10 frames, and she had splits (i.e. hard or impossible spare attempts) in her only two open frames. (For any able-bodied bowler reading this, you may think "no spare is impossible" but with our limited ball speed, the 7-10 split is impossible for us to pickup. But I caught some of Peggy's magic and did convert the difficult 6-7-10 split (link) for my 8th time in 8 years of dynamic-style wheelchair bowling.)

Peggy cooled off in her last two games, but everyone watching was thrilled at what Peggy had already accomplished -- especially her Mom.

CONGRATULATIONS PEGGY! :-)

Peggy's new record scoresheet is HERE.

For Peggy's previous best, click HERE.

Keep up the good work Peggy!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

IKAN User Profile: Ross Grimball, Louisiana

2010-04-30T22:02:00.006-04:00

Ross Grimball emailed me earlier this week wanting some advice on how I pickup the single corner-pin spares (7 and 10, individually). Ross is a 17-year-old young man who bowls in a youth league, despite using a wheelchair due to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I was happy to share my approach on those spares, and I also asked Ross if he would mind filling out the IKAN User Profile questions for my blog, which he kindly did.

Ross' Profile answers are below, but first here's the advice I shared in case anyone else is interested:

To pickup single corner-pin spares, what I try to do is go "cross alley" i.e. I try to setup with my chair & IKAN Bowler in line with the corner pin and the center arrow. Sometimes I'm not perfectly in line with the center arrow and corner pin, but the key, in my opinion, is to drive straight at the corner pin. Also, I don't actually look at the arrows as I approach the foul line. I look at the pin, and kind of with my peripheral vision, I'm also looking at my IKAN Bowler. When it appears I'm aimed accurately, I hit my brakes and let inertia and gravity takeover.

Great question, thanks Ross, and thanks for the profile answers!

Name: Ross Grimball
Age: 17
Location: Patterson, LA
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Onset or Injury Date: I was diagnosed in 1996 and I have been wheelchair bound for 9 years.
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick
High Bowling Score: 170
Approx Bowling Average: 131
Typical Range of Scores: 100-150
Bowling Frequency: I bowl once a week in a youth league at Charlie's Lanes in Morgan City, LA.
Bowling Ball: Tornado (undrilled)
Quote from Ross: "Bowling allows me to compete and have a feeling of self-achievement."

Excellent quote, Ross, thanks again!

Ross sent me a clip of him bowling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5D5LOumJTg

Bill Miller :-)

C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game

Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT

My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com

Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com

Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

From Vent to Diaphragmatic Pacing System -- Part 1

2010-03-31T22:45:00.013-04:00

I, Bill Miller, am paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator dependent due to a high-level spinal cord injury (SCI) that I incurred in August of 1997. Though I learned of Synapse Biomedical's NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System (DPS) several years ago, I didn't feel like it could do much to improve my quality of life. I actually thought it would decrease my quality of life, primarily because the DPS doesn't allow the user to initiate breaths. Why is that important?

My voice is my primary tool to the world, so the better my speech, the better my quality of life. Using a Passy-Muir (Speaking) Valve (PMV), I have nearly continuous speech while receiving 13 breaths per minute (BPM) at a volume of 900 cc (just less than half of a two liter soda bottle). However, sometimes I do "run out" of air to speak with, before I finish my thought. Fortunately, there are a couple of ventilator settings that enable me to initiate another breath, with just a slight "shrug" of my shoulders (I use my neck muscles to pull my chin down and chest up a little; that’s also how I can breathe when disconnected from the ventilator).

Initiating a breath enables me to shorten the pause in between "scheduled" breaths and continue speaking. The DPS doesn't allow users to initiate breaths, hence my initial thought that it would decrease my speaking ability and thus my quality of life. But there's a simple fix: just increase the breath rate.

I'm told that my volume when stimulated to breathe by the DPS should be around 800 cc, so with 14 or maybe 15 BPM, my guess is I won't need to initiate any breaths. That's what I suspect I'll want during the day when I'm speaking, and I can decrease the BPM for sleeping.

I was also leery about only having battery power for the DPS. It's comforting to know I have unlimited vent time when plugged-in to a standard outlet, but to also know I have batteries for my vent that give me roughly 12-14 hours on a full charge, and charge simply by being plugged-in. But I have a friend who has used the DPS essentially 24/7 for over five years, and he hasn't had any issues with the batteries.

With those issues "solved" in my mind, I began to think how I could benefit from the DPS.

* * * * *

I've heard DPS users' senses of smell and taste both improve, though I cannot imagine certain foods tasting any better than they do now (I enjoy eating:). And I can smell fairly well when I actively try to take air in through my nose (and selective smelling can be a good thing!:). So those are minimal benefits for me personally, but here are several that are not.

The biggest benefit I hope to gain from the DPS is being comfortable enough with it to remove the ventilator and vent tray from my wheelchair. Actually, I'm in need of a new chair (this is my original chair, which is over 12 years old) and I would like to get a chair that can stand me up, so that I can both view the world from my natural height, and bear my weight much more frequently than I do now. Bearing weight is highly beneficial for one's bones and entire body, I'm told. Plus, I do speaking engagements, and plan to teach at the community college level upon completing my master's degree -- and how cool would it be for a quadriplegic to be able to stand up when speaking?

Not having a ventilator on my chair would also enable me to maneuver in tight spaces more easily. And I could drive my wheelchair while standing -- I'd love to roll upright across the stage when I graduate (I rolled seated across the stage for my bachelor's degree, which can be seen on my website HERE).

The DPS would definitely improve my speech quality in bed, because it would be like using a speaking valve all the time. (The PMV is a fantastic little one-way valve that enables one to take in air easily through one's trach, but seals off in the exhale direction, thus enabling the user to have air around his/her vocal cords even when the vent isn't giving a breath, which allows for more continuous speech.) I don't currently use a speaking valve in bed because the valve tends to dry out my airway, so in bed, I re-humidify my airway.

Another benefit would be that the DPS should allow me to either cap my trach or use a small speaking valve, either of which would make getting dressed a bit easier, and also would make wearing certain clothes MUCH easier. Right now, with the vent circuit attached to my trach, it protrudes about 1.5 to 2 inches, which makes wearing some dress shirts or a tie quite difficult.

I could also potentially wear a turtleneck or mock-turtleneck, which I cannot currently do (because they put pressure on my trach and stoma), and they could hide my trach altogether. I'm not self-conscious about my trach or general appearance, but that would obscure a sign of my disability, which would be good because I try to not let my disability define what I can do -- despite being paralyzed from my neck down, I still feel like I have the ability to accomplish quite a bit (I thank the Good Lord for blessing me with good support systems).

Some DPS users have even had their trachs removed entirely. Even if I'm able to build up to 24/7 DPS use, it would take me a while to even consider having my trach removed. That's a big step -- that maybe I'll get to consider in six months or a year. That said, my on-vent quality of life is high (many thanks to a CoughAssist machine, which you can read about on my website HERE) so I won't be too disappointed if I'm not able to use the DPS. No worries!

This is the first of (hopefully) five entries I've been asked to submit for the International Ventilator User's Network (IVUN). If all goes well with my efforts to become a DPS user, then here are the proposed entries: Column 1 (April 2010) Why I'm seeking a DPS; Column 2 (June 2010) Candidate screening / pre-surgery requirements; Column 3 (August 2010) DPS surgery; Column 4 (October 2010) Post surgery use; Column 5 (in 2011) Extended use. IVUN's website is www.ventusers.org.

A PDF file of IVUN's newsletter is below; I'm on page 5 with a nicely edited version of what I wrote above:

http://www.lookmomnohands.net/objects/IVUN-val2010-24-2Nsec.pdf

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Record for Female Bowlers with MD

2010-02-28T23:37:00.002-05:00

My friend and fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler Peggy Overbey reset her personal bowling record, which also happens to be the dynamic wheelchair bowling record for females with Muscular Dystrophy.

Peggy was somewhat "starting from scratch" because she purchased a new ball, and is/was trying to figure it out at Quad Squad Bowling.

So, it wasn't really surprising that she started off with a 93, but she improved to 114 in her second game. And she kept the upward momentum going and achieved a 138 in her third game, which is the new record for female bowlers with MD. She had six marks (all spares) in the game, which means she pretty well earned that 138.

Peggy is doing what I suggest new IKAN Users do -- that is simply try to keep beating your personal best when you bowl. It's easier said (or written:) than done, but that's how you can demonstrate improvement. In that way, you're competing with yourself. (Although it's quite fun to try to beat your friends and/or caregivers too!:)

Dynamic wheelchair bowling is a fun, yet challenging sport, and it's not super easy to get the ball where you want it everytime, or even the vast majority of the time. I have a ton of experience, and though I've broken 200 ten times, my average is probably about 150. And some days my average is below 150.

No worries -- it's still fun! :-)

For "Keys and Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling" click HERE.

Peggy's new record scoresheet is HERE.

For Peggy's quite impressive first IKAN experience, click HERE.

Keep up the good work Peggy!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

First-Time IKAN User Sets Female MD Record

2010-01-31T23:15:00.005-05:00

Peggy Overbey, a 44-year-young woman who was born with a type of Muscular Dystrophy called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, bowled remarkably well for a first-time IKAN User, and in doing so, set the initial pace for female bowlers with MD.

Peggy is our newest Central Florida Quad Squad member, and when she told me she was finally going to be able to bowl with us, I tried to give her realistic expectations for her first IKAN experience. I mentioned that any score approaching 100 in her first three games would be a solid start, and breaking 100 in any of her first three games would be an excellent start.

A typical first game involves trying to get familiar with how the ball will break when setup in certain positions and the overall process of bowling dynamically. That doesn't usually result in very good scores, and Peggy's 77 was pretty typical. Her next game was not.

Not only did Peggy break 100 in just her second game, she had FIVE marks and bowled a 129! And to prove it wasn't a fluke or beginner's luck, she topped it with a 135 in her third game! But she wasn't done.

She kept demonstrating a solid feel for bowling and added a 125 and 134 in games four and five. Even including the 77, Peggy averaged 120 for her first five games -- that's impressive!

Five games is quite a bit of bowling, but Peggy was having so much fun, she wanted to bowl a sixth game, and she did. But I think she got tired and lost a bit of focus, and consequently scored a 75. Nonetheless, it was an amazing first IKAN experience, and Peggy's 135 is the initial record for female bowlers with MD.

I was most impressed that her approach and ball placement were so solid; she knew where the ball needed to go for the particular shot, and she executed shots quite well. Even when she missed, it wasn't by much. So that 135 probably won't stand very long. But it's a GREAT start!

CONGRATULATIONS PEGGY and keep up the good work! :-)

Oh, and for any other females with MD who may read this, I'm certain Peggy would encourage and welcome the competition. Any wheelchair user can bowl with an IKAN Bowler.

Peggy's scoresheet is HERE.

And no worries -- I'll gladly update the female with MD record whenever it's broken!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Quad Squad Year in Review (2009)

2009-12-31T23:40:00.004-05:00

With this year in review, I'll recap the highlights of the past year for Quad Squad Bowling and share some additional news that isn't in any of my other blog entries.

In January, my young friend Alex McDonald set and reset the dynamic wheelchair bowling record for a male with muscular dystrophy by impressively bowling a 180 and 192 in back-to-back games. Click HERE for details, but as you'll see later in this recap, Alex went on to eclipse his record -- several (impressive) times.

In February, 65-year-young Angie Keiser became really the first paraplegic to take the IKAN "dynamic bowling challenge" and post a solid record score of 138. That might not sound like it's too high, but I believe dynamic bowling in a manual wheelchair is more difficult than with a power wheelchair. And we have yet to see any other paraplegics (younger or older) take the challenge and post a better score than Angie. So Angie officially holds the record. Click HERE for Angie's IKAN User profile and the scoresheet of her record game.

In March, 59-year-young Lilian Strandlund became THE top overall female dynamic wheelchair bowler with a joyous 189. I say joyous because she was SO HAPPY to not only become the top female bowler with cerebral palsy, and the top female bowler who drives her chair via joystick, in addition to the aforementioned overall top bowler -- but she beat her significant other Ed, who is able-bodied and can bowl real well. Just mentioning her record setting performance and beating Ed makes Lilian's whole face light up with a smile that beams! Click HERE for Lilian's profile and record scoresheet.

In April & May, I wrote a REALLY comprehensive (a.k.a. LONG:) blog called "Keys and Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling." Actually, in May I updated it with some new info, but if you're interested and haven't read it, I went back and included the May info in the April blog, so that someone only has to read my April entry to get everything, which is HERE.

In June, Rhonda Reese came out of hibernation to set a new record for a female wheelchair bowler who drives via sip-and-puff with an exciting 170 -- beating her previous best by 9 pins! I say "hibernation" in jest because Rhonda hadn't been able to bowl with us for about 6 months. So after such a long time in between bowling, it was impressive to see her have her best bowling day to date. Click HERE for details.

Apparently nothing particularly blog-worthy occurred with our Quad Squad Bowling in July, so I took the opportunity to introduce a new website I created to more legitimize our record bowling scores. To checkout WheelchairBowlingRecords.com, click HERE.

Alex McDonald heated up in August and broke his male with MD record by bowling 195 -- and if that wasn't impressive enough, he averaged 182.33 on his record-breaking day. His best bowling day (to that point:) came at a great time, because Alex was preparing to join his High School Bowling Team -- competing with and against able-bodied bowlers -- a few weeks later. Click HERE for details.

With September came a new record for male bowlers who drive via sip-and-puff... I bowled a 221 which topped my previous high game of 206 by 15 pins. The thing that surprised and amazed me is that I actually had two open frames in the game, and still managed to score that high (I had 7 strikes; 4 consecutive and 3 consecutive -- that's how I was lucky enough to score so high). Click HERE for details.

In October, Alex became the fourth IKAN User to enter the 200 Club -- and he did it TWICE with a 201 and 213! I was both quite impressed and proud of Alex's bowling accomplishments, despite our friendly rivalry. Click HERE for details.

In November, a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic who is paralyzed from the neck down bowled his 10th game of 200 or better. I wrote that to try to drive home the point that ANY wheelchair user who can safely operate a wheelchair, can bowl in dynamic fashion (by dynamic I mean using an IKAN Bowler and the movement of one's wheelchair to emulate the able-bodied bowling process). I control my wheelchair with my mouth, and yet I've bowled ten 200+ games. I don't write that to brag, but to show others what is possible. Click HERE for the details.

This is my December blog entry and I have one quite significant piece of news to share -- and sad news at that.

Shockingly, in late November at just 17 years of age, our friend and fellow Quad Squad member Alex McDonald passed away from complications of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He went from seemingly healthy to no longer with us in about a week's time.

I share that here for two reasons: (1) so readers of this blog will know why additional bowling accomplishments from Alex aren't mentioned, and (2) as a reminder to LIVE life and try to enjoy each day, whatever it may bring. Not only that, but to make sure your loved ones know you love them.

With that, I wish everyone who reads this a healthy and happy 2010.

May God bless you and your loved ones.

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Vent-Dependent Quadriplegic Bowls 10th 200+ Game

2009-11-30T23:09:00.009-05:00

I, Bill Miller, am paralyzed from my neck down and ventilator-dependent, yet I recently bowled my 10th legitimate game of 200 or better. I state that not to brag, but to help drive home the point that ANY WHEELCHAIR USER -- who can safely operate his/her wheelchair -- CAN BOWL in dynamic fashion with the IKAN ("I can") Bowler®.

I've now bowled a 200, four 201s, two 202s, a 203, 206, and 221, which is my personal record and the current record for a male who drives his chair via sip-and-puff. What makes the scores legitimate?

The IKAN Bowler® was sanctioned for league and tournament play -- any league or tournament any where, bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN Users -- by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

The USBC sanctioned the IKAN Bowler® because IKAN Users emulate the able-bodied bowling process, i.e. setup, then physically approach and release the ball while stopping short of the foul line. This is considered "dynamic" bowling because executing each shot involves the moving wheelchair. We state this to distinguish dynamic wheelchair bowling from stationary-ramp bowling.

There's nothing wrong with stationary-ramp bowling (and the IKAN Bowler® is great for stationary-ramp bowling) but that's essentially a different sport than dynamic wheelchair bowling, which is equivalent to traditional, able-bodied bowling.

* * * * *

My most recent 200+ game was my 4th 201.

I started off well with a spare, then a strike, and three more spares. Then came a turkey (three consecutive strikes) over my 6th, 7th, and 8th frames, followed by a spare in the 9th.

At this point, I had 184 plus whatever I bowl with my first ball in the 10th. So with a decent/good count (for example 8 pins) with my first ball, I'd have 192 in the 9th, and 200 in the 10th -- PLUS the opportunity for a spare (two more points) and an additional ball (likely 7-10 more points). Therefore, if all that happened, I most likely would've added an additional 17-20 points to my 9th frame score (so with the hypothetical 192, I was looking at potentially scoring 209-212).

The hypothetical 8 pins became 8 real pins and I had 192 in the 9th.

The problem is I was left with a nasty 4-10 split, which is extremely difficult to pickup. I tried, but got only the 4-pin and thus finished with a 201. I was really hoping I'd bowl a score I hadn't before (something in the range of 209-212, like I mentioned above) but it wasn't meant to be. No worries.

ANY score of 200 or better is something to be quite happy about -- and I am! :-)

The scoresheet for my 4th 201 and 10th 200+ game is HERE.

If you're curious, my 221 story & scoresheet are HERE.

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Wheelchair User with MD Enters 200 Club with a 201 and 213!

2009-10-31T05:39:00.004-04:00

On October 10, 2009, my friend Alex McDonald became the fourth IKAN User (to my knowledge) to bowl 200 or better! That day Alex bowled a 201 to join the 200 Club -- and just two weeks later -- Alex bowled a 213 to up the record for male wheelchair users with muscular dystrophy! :-)

Alex has been really consistent (and good) at picking up spares. But he's had trouble getting strikes relatively often, partly because his ball wouldn't hook how he wanted it to. Well, on October 10th, our fellow Quad Squad member Rhonda Reese brought Jeff Parker's old ball up for Alex to try (for those who don't know, our Quad Squad friend Jeff Parker passed away at the age of 37 from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Alex also has Duchenne MD, but he's only 17 -- and may he have a long, healthy life with the Good Lord's blessing and all the advances being made in medicine). On the below scoresheet, you can see Alex was trying to get familiar with Jeff's ball in the first game.

Maybe it was the cosmic Duchenne connection (maybe Jeff was there, kicking over some pins) I don't know, but Alex sure got familiar with Jeff's ball in the second game. As the scoresheet shows, Alex had four strikes in the 10 frames, including a double over the 8th and 9th. Since Alex was already extremely comfortable with his ball for spares, he kept using it whenever he didn't have a strike, and he picked up every spare in his second game, which led to a mighty good 201 -- and Alex's entrance into the 200 Club.

I would've loved to have been there to watch and cheer Alex on, but my wheelchair batteries were almost completely dead when I got in my chair that afternoon, so I couldn't go bowling.

But I saw Alex's 213 game -- and it was exciting!

Alex opened with a spare -- and then FIVE STRAIGHT STRIKES -- and the record watch was ON! After his fourth frame (so he had a spare, followed by a turkey) I'm thinking, "Alright Alex! This has a good chance to be another 200+ game!"

After another strike, and ANOTHER, my eyes were getting big and I was thinking, "Look out Jon Musgrave!" Jon is the overall world record holder in dynamic wheelchair bowling with a 243 (available HERE). Alex followed the five straight strikes with another spare in the 7th frame, but unfortunately he missed his spare attempt in the 8th frame. He spared in the ninth, but didn't spare in the 10th. The final tally was 213 -- an impressive score for just about anyone, able-bodied or not.

I must point out an odd similarity between Alex's best game and my best game (mine is 221; available HERE). We both had two open frames (i.e. two frames without a spare or strike) -- AND we both missed two single-pin spares in those open frames. It's amazing that we both scored as high as we did, considering we each had two open frames, and the irony is we usually pick-up those single-pin spares when we're bowling well.

Alex had no open frames in his 201 game, and I have also bowled a 201 with no open frames. The fact that we both had two open frames in our highest games, shows the power of consecutive strikes.

For any IKAN User who wants to join the 200 Club, I highly suggest trying out different bowling balls until you find one that has a pretty good amount of break (curve) that you can hook into the headpin. I elaborate on how to do that and more with my blog entry titled, "Keys and Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling" available HERE.

Alex's 201 scoresheet AND 213 scoresheet are both HERE!

If you're curious, Alex's previous best was 195, available HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS ALEX! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

A New Record for Male Sip-and-Puff Wheelchair Bowlers!

2009-09-30T23:30:00.006-04:00

At Quad Squad Bowling this past Saturday, I bowled a 221, which beat my previous high game (206) by 15 pins! :-)

I must say, I had quite a bit of good luck. I opened with a spare, then four consecutive strikes, followed by two open frames, then three consecutive strikes (the third strike was the first ball of my 10th frame). I followed with split-7 and only got one of the remaining pins for a 221. If that's a bit confusing, see my scoresheet (link below).

It requires some luck (or heavenly help) to get that many strikes, and to get a consecutive group of four and another group of three (if strikes are not consecutive, the score doesn't compound nearly as fast). I scored that high -- yet missed two very makeable spares. The two open frames were single-pin attempts (7 and 10, respectively) and when I'm bowling really well, I typically pickup those single-pin spares. And if I had, my score would have been... drum roll please... 243 -- which would have tied Jon Musgrave for the overall world record.

But I'm NOT complaining! I'm slightly kicking myself that I didn't pickup those two single-pin spares, but I'm amazed that I scored 221 after missing those spares. That shows the power of compound strikes. I've actually bowled at least three games without having an open frame (I just checked some of my old scoresheets) and three of those totaled 202, 203, and 206. I had to work harder in those games because I had fewer strikes (so I had more spares to convert).

Not to make excuses, but the 221 came in my first game, and that's usually my warmup game where I try to get a feel for my strike ball and also my straight ball for spare attempts. I had one easy spare in the first frame (I think it was the 2-4, which is two pins offset but close enough to get by striking either side of the 2-pin) then four strikes, followed by the two corner single-pin spare attempts. I actually took some time to "compose myself" before those attempts, knowing I had only used my straight ball once. But I missed both.

I just knew missing those spares was going to hurt when I looked back at the game (at what my score could have been) but, at the same time, I recognize how uncommon it is to get that many consecutive strikes in a game (with our moderate ball speed, we don't generate a lot of pin action) and I'm grateful to now be able to say I bowled a 221. That's a new record for male wheelchair users who drive by sip-and-puff.

I lost some focus in my second game and had a 136, meaning I needed a 143 in my third game for a 500 series (that's actually my goal when I bowl). I bowled 171 in my third game for a 528 series.

Ok, my record scoresheet is HERE.

If you're curious, my previous best 206 (story & scoresheet) is HERE.

AND -- I get a new signature! See below...

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 221 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Another New Record for Wheelchair Bowlers with Muscular Dystrophy!

2009-08-31T23:51:00.006-04:00

My friend and fellow Quad Squad Bowler, 17-year-old Alex McDonald topped his previous best (192, link below) with an impressive 195 at our recent Quad Squad outing. In doing so, he raised the bar for others with Muscular Dystrophy (MD) and increases his World Record for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling for Bowlers with MD.

And he humbled me in the process! See, Alex and I -- and all of the Quad Squad -- have a friendly rivalry, and compete for top score of the day. But neither I nor any other Quad Squad Bowler could keep pace with Alex a few weeks ago. (And if you read previous blog entries about my poorly driving wheelchair, it is fixed and that wasn't the problem; I just struggled for some reason.)

I want to highlight a few points about Alex's scoresheet (which is linked below) in particular, his final three games (the first game was a warm-up and he had splits-itis).

In Alex's final three games, his average score was 182.33 and he averaged 8.33 marks per 10 frames. In those three games, i.e. 30 frames, Alex only had a total of three frames in which he had non-split open frames (splits are indicated by a circle on the scoresheet). In theory, every non-split (that isn't a strike) becomes a spare attempt that a "really good bowler typically converts."

Alex converted 2 of 3 in his second game, 4 of 5 in his third game, and 5 of 6 in his fourth game. And just for the heck of it, Alex converted two splits into spares (one of them was the nasty 6-7-10, which he converted beautifully; ok, I just checked the scoresheet and it shows no converted circled-7, which means the machine scored inaccurately, which can happen if a pin moves far enough from its usual position without falling over, or it was the 6-10 split, which is converted the same way as the 6-7-10 -- BUT it doesn't really matter because that was in game four, not Alex's MD record 195 game; click HERE to see a 6-7-10 split setup and how Alex converted it).

Altogether it was some high quality bowling by Alex -- AND great to see -- especially since Alex is about to start varsity bowling for his high school! The IKAN Bowler® is sanctioned for league and tournament play by the USBC, so Alex can compete with his able-bodied classmates on their varsity bowling team.

I hope the high quality bowling Alex demonstrated below continues and/or improves when he's in high school competition.

If you'd like to see Alex's previous high of 192, click HERE.

Alex's latest record (195) scoresheet is HERE.

GREAT JOB ALEX! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Website for Wheelchair Bowling Records!

2009-07-31T23:43:00.008-04:00

The IKAN ("I can") Bowler can enable virtually any wheelchair user to bowl dynamically (involving the movement of the wheelchair; not stationary ramp bowling) and the sport of dynamic wheelchair bowling is legitimate, says the United States Bowling Congress (USBC). The USBC sanctioned the IKAN Bowler for league and tournament play -- any league or tournament anywhere in the U.S. -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers, or fellow IKAN Users.

Since the IKAN Bowler is the only wheelchair bowling device sanctioned by the USBC (which is a merger of the Women's International Bowling Congress and the American Bowling Congress) for league or tournament play, records achieved bowling dynamically with an IKAN Bowler are indeed legitimate world records for wheelchair bowling. Here's the website that shows the current master list and explains more if you're curious:

http://www.WheelchairBowlingRecords.com

You may have noticed that some links in previous blog entries go to the new website. If you're wondering how that is possible since this website is new, it's because I went back and updated those links after creating the above website. I thought the records should have a more legitimate Internet space on their own website, instead being on my personal website.

We look forward to increased competition and the setting of new records!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

New Record for a Female Using Sip-and-Puff!

2009-06-30T23:51:00.011-04:00

My friend and fellow Quad Squad member Rhonda Reese set a new record for dynamic wheelchair bowling by a female driving her chair by sip-and-puff. After not being able to bowl for about six months, Rhonda shook the rust off her bowling game and bowled an impressive 170 -- beating her previous best by a sizable margin -- nine pins!

Whenever we bowl, we have a friendly competition to try to have the top game of the day, and after game one, Rhonda was in the lead with a 142, ahead of both Lilian and me (the only Quad Squad Bowlers who could bowl that day). I managed to take the lead with a 170 in game two, despite my chair still being squirrelly (bowling a turkey, a.k.a. three consecutive strikes, really helps:).

Rhonda is a bit of a deliberate bowler, and I finished three games by the time she finished two. She was thinking of stopping, but I said, "Rhonda, you haven't bowled in six months -- enjoy yourself and bowl another game!" We were all rooting for Rhonda (we all cheer for everyone to do well, but we especially wanted to see Rhonda bowl well because she hadn't been able to bowl for a long time). To keep her company, I bowled a fourth game alongside her. But I finished faster than Rhonda, and she wound up being the ONLY person in Spanish Springs bowling!

It was too quiet, so I wanted to try to keep her from being nervous (she already was, because she knew she had a good game going -- and it's her nature to be nervous:). I was on lane one, she was on lane two, and Lilian was also finished bowling on lane three. So I asked Rhonda if I could distract her from being nervous if I crossed over in front of her and went to cheer for her by Lilian. She said "go for it" so I did, and I led the cheer, "Let's-go, Rhon-da" (clap clap, clap clap clap; the "clapping" I did vocally, of course:) from lane 4, but nobody was doing it with me (Jackie later said they didn't want to make Rhonda nervous:). I was trying to break the silence and tension and get Rhonda to relax a little.

It looked like Rhonda would fall a little short of her previous record (161) until the 10th frame. She had 122 in the 8th frame and a spare in the 9th (i.e. the potential to have 142 in the 9th and a chance to break her record, if she rolled a strike with her first ball in the 10th). So I said, "No pressure Rhonda, just three strikes -- just start with one!" :-)

Boom, STRIKE! :-)

And ANOTHER! :-)

After the double, she had 162 and another ball. I said, "Rhonda, there's REALLY no pressure now, because you already have a new record!" :-)

Rhonda replied, "Yeah, but I want to set it as high as I can -- so there's still pressure!" (She was killing me with all the pressure talk!:)

Anyway, she got 8 with her last ball for a 170 and her entrance into THE 170 CLUB! WOOHOO! Way to go Rhonda! :-)

Afterward, she was pleased with her new record, but lamented, "But now I have to break 170 to get a new record."

Dale, who caddied for Rhonda, was like, "Quit trying to find the dark side of a silver cloud!" It was funny.

Good times. Here's her scoresheet (at the below link, scroll down):

http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Rhonda_Reese_Record_170.htm

CONGRATULATIONS RHONDA! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Update to Keys & Tips for DWB

2009-05-31T22:52:00.009-04:00

I added some info to my previous blog entry (Keys & Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling) but since it's so long, I thought I should post the new info here for anyone who read that previously.

In this blog entry, I elaborate on:

• CHAIR IN (AT LEAST) DECENT DRIVING CONDITION
• STOPPING THE CHAIR WITH THE KILL SWITCH
• MY DRIVE SETTINGS FOR BOWLING

All three of the above topics are long, so I have headers below.

* * * * *

CHAIR IN (AT LEAST) DECENT DRIVING CONDITION

I thought my chair was fixed. It's a little better, but there's still something wrong with my sip-and-puff. It isn't as responsive as it used to be, or should be. My sip-and-puff control system has a difficult time recognizing a hard sip and a hard puff -- which, depending on whether I'm driving forward or in reverse -- those are my braking/stop inputs.

Sip-and-puff users have four different inputs available: hard sip, soft sip, hard puff, and soft puff. For the difference between a sip and a puff, think about drinking a glass of milk with a straw. Take a drink -- that's a sip. A puff would be "blowing milk bubbles" with your straw.

Even when I conscientiously sip or puff as hard as I can (my ability to do so is strong; that isn't the problem) the control unit doesn't immediately recognize the hard sip (or puff). Before it recognizes the sip (or puff) as hard, it first recognizes the sip (or puff) as soft -- and those are turning inputs. So as it "takes time" to recognize the sip (or puff) as hard, it turns me until it recognizes I am trying stop (by giving the correct hard input). Does that make sense?

That explains why I thought my right brake wasn't engaging. Because trying to stop while going forward, my hard sip was initially misinterpreted as a soft sip, which means turn left. So I would turn left for about a second, before stopping, and since I tried to stop with my Bowler aimed at my target, a second-worth of turning left would make me miss the shot by a LOT.

Granted, I have been trying to compensate for this left turn by aiming significantly to the right of my target, but I estimated one second of turning (i.e. soft sip recognition) before stopping (hard sip recognition) and I'm certain sometimes it would recognize the hard sip faster than others (meaning it could turn left anywhere from a half-second, to one and a half seconds, roughly). That means I simply had to get lucky and hope however far right I aimed would match how much left I would get turned before the stop was recognized.

* * * * *

STOPPING THE CHAIR WITH THE KILL SWITCH

Ben mentioned stopping his chair with his kill switch. Since the kill switch is supposed to immediately stop the chair, I thought I could use it to stop straight (from my earlier thoughts on this, it seemed to work great in Publix). What I found when bowling, was that the kill switch seemed to have a slight delay before it stopped me. Again, from my earlier thoughts on this, you may remember my chair pulls to the right as I go forward. However, that is influenced by the direction of my casters. For example, with my chair pulling right, my casters are going to the right, and if I hit the kill switch, the slight delay would result in my chair "drifting" farther right than I wanted.

However, if I gave a left turn input and got my casters going a little left, and then hit the kill switch, with the short delay, the amount of "right drift" was significantly less than the scenario in the above paragraph. But to execute shots, I often am turning either right or left (slightly either way) as I approach, to get my chair and Bowler in the proper position. So there were times when I would turn slightly left before hitting the kill switch, and my chair would only drift back right slightly before it stopped. Then other times, if I made a slight right turn before hitting the kill switch, it would drift right more than the previous scenario. THAT DROVE ME NUTS! :-)

As you can imagine (if I described that well) I had an extremely difficult time trying to execute shots with any consistency, and of course, I missed many. I think my four scores ranged from like 109-128, and when my sip-and-puff stops me "immediately," my average game is usually about 150 (sometimes, when I'm bowling particularly well, my average can be quite a bit over 150, but there are times my average is under 150 even with a properly functioning chair).

* * * * *

MY DRIVE SETTINGS FOR BOWLING

In the previous blog entry, I mentioned I initially setup two drive modes for bowling.

The below link shares roughly what my actual drive settings are.

Note of caution: depending on your motors and driving system, my settings may not be good for you.

I actually think the torque settings (the amount of "power" available for turning) is wrong on the below PDF, because that list was initially setup using my chair's original two-pole motors, not the more powerful four-pole motors that it currently has. The torque settings I think are about half (or even less than half) of the percentages shown in the file.

I think the key is the turning speed. I have my turning speed at only 20% in my bowling mode, whereas it's 35% in Drive 1, which is my safe/indoors mode.

If you aren't sure how to read that table, Drive 2 has my forward speed at 60%, but notice it's "latched type" is three speed. That means I have essentially three "gears" to get up to 60% of my chair's maximum speed. Maximum speed for my chair, I think is six mph. So when I am in Drive 2, one hard puff gets me rolling forward at probably 20% speed and that is essentially first gear (it's like an electronic gear). Another hard puff is essentially second gear and is probably about 40% speed. In order to reach the programmed setting of 60% speed in Drive 2, I have to give another hard puff to put it in third gear.

Now that you know what the three-speed gears are like, I bowl only in first gear. As described above, it's probably about 22% of my chair's maximum speed, but my moderately-paced approach allows me to adjust as I go forward and when my chair is behaving properly, I'm usually pretty accurate.

You might wonder what the alternative to "three speed" latched type is, and for my chair, I believe it's one-speed. That means that whatever speed percentage the Drive mode is set for, the chair will accelerate and reach that speed as fast as possible. This can be fun -- DANGEROUS -- but fun in the right situation. Just for fun, I had my wheelchair guy setup Drive 4 with 100% speed, on one-speed. With the vent on the back of my chair, if I tilted back a little from my most-upright seating position, I can actually pop wheelies and have my two front casters off the ground for about 8-10 feet before they come back down.

I actually don't know if my Drive 4 is still set on the dangerous 100% one-speed setting. It's dangerous because if I get put into Drive 4 and don't realize it, I could easily crash into something -- and that happened once. One time in my bedroom, I guess my nurse kept hitting the toggle switch which turns my chair on, but if it's pulled in the on-direction while it's already on, that advances the Drive mode. So I actually accelerated like a maniac and crashed into my bed. Fortunately I was wearing shoes and there was no damage to my body, chair, or bed.

If you're curious as to why the below file has two tables, the top is my current/previous/old settings. The blank table is so we can make note of any changes to new settings, if I want or need something changed. (Then I can later add the new/current settings to my file; I'll share the Word file if anyone wants to put their name and settings into a file like mine.)

Bill Miller's wheelchair settings (Drive 3 is my bowling mode):

http://www.lookmomnohands.net/objects/BillMillerWheelchairSettings.pdf

Again, I'll be happy to try answering any questions you may have.

Thanks!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Keys & Tips for Dynamic Wheelchair Bowling

2009-04-30T23:49:00.015-04:00

Dynamic wheelchair bowling is the sport that was created by the development of the IKAN ("I can") Bowler. The bowling is "dynamic" because it incorporates the movement of the wheelchair.

The bowling process with an IKAN Bowler is basically the same as what able-bodied bowlers perform: setup for the shot, then physically approach the foul line and release the ball as you stop short of the foul line. Because the two processes are essentially equivalent, the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) sanctioned the IKAN Bowler for league or tournament play -- any league or tournament, anywhere in the U.S. -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers or fellow IKAN Users.

This opened up the game/sport of bowling to wheelchair users, and especially power wheelchair users (who are typically thought of as society's most physically-limited people, yet we can compete on a fair "playing field" with able-bodied bowlers:).

With the formalities established above, I'll now discuss how to compete as effectively as possible, i.e. keys and tips for dynamic wheelchair bowling. To qualify myself to do so, Claude Giguere and I are the two people credited with co-inventing the IKAN Bowler, and I was also the first wheelchair user to break the 200-score barrier with an IKAN Bowler.

This is quite long, so here are the topics I discuss:

• PROPER IKAN BOWLER ATTACHMENT AND SETUP
• CHAIR IN (AT-LEAST) DECENT DRIVING CONDITION
--- UPDATE! 5/10/2009
--- UPDATE: 5/30/2009
--- STOPPING THE CHAIR WITH THE KILL SWITCH
--- UPDATE: 1/2/2012
• KNOWING (AND LEARNING) YOUR BALL
• BUYING A BALL
• BOWLING STRATEGY
• WHEELCHAIR DRIVING TIPS (FOR BOWLING:)
• A DRIVE MODE FOR BOWLING
• MY DRIVE SETTINGS FOR BOWLING
• HOW TO KEEP SCORE
• HOW TO SCORE "BIG"
• IKAN BOWLER STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION

You can scroll down to see the above topics.

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Ok, in order to bowl to the best of your ability, there are three keys from a functional standpoint:

1. Your IKAN Bowler needs to be PROPERLY attached and setup for your chair.
2. Your wheelchair needs to be in at-least decent driving condition.
3. You need to know what your ball will do when it comes off your Bowler.

The above three components are necessary to give you the best opportunity to bowl well.

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PROPER IKAN BOWLER ATTACHMENT AND SETUP

The IKAN Bowler has two main components: the Universal Mount and the IKAN Bowler Arm (the well-engineered "ramp" portion). Instructions for properly setting up the Universal Mount are available here: http://www.ikanbowler.com/UserGuides/0562UniversalMount.pdf

But I want to stress a few things. The clamps should be adjusted so they are as wide as the chair's legrests (and should not be attached to power-elevating legrests; contact us if your chair has them). And the clamps should snap securely in place, and hold the "V" grooves flush to the each legrest, without sliding. Also, the mounting bar (the bar that the clamps are attached to; see above file for a picture) should appear level (horizontal).

If the IKAN User sits with his/her head more to the right or left of center in his/her chair, then consider sliding the mounting bar toward that side, so the person is as "directly behind" the ball as possible. That's assuming he/she can see over the ball. If the person cannot see over the ball, ask if he/she would like the mounting bar centered or off to either side. Our instructions say to center the mounting bar, which is good general advice, but I'm pointing out that the mounting bar can go a little left or right if the user desires.

If your body is capable, I think it's best to be centered in your chair and sitting "as tall" as possible (i.e. not sliding or slouched down). To ensure this, I tilt all the way back in my chair, and have my caregiver pull me up by my armpits; this helps center me in the chair when I sit back up. Incidentally, I always tilt back for at least one minute in between games to relieve the pressure on my sitting bones and to help my circulation (click this link for the importance of doing so roughly every half hour: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/pressure_relief.htm).

Instructions for properly setting up the IKAN Bowler Arm are available here: http://www.ikanbowler.com/UserGuides/0565BowlingArm.pdf

Once setup, place the bowling ball on the "launcher surface" (at the top of the ramp) and put the "ball release" in locked position (so the ball won't come down). Now check both bubble levels again, and make sure the bottom caster is about one finger-width above the floor (between one-quarter and one-half inch, roughly).

The two levels are key. The front level determines if your Bowling Arm is perfectly straight up and down, i.e. perpendicular to the floor (and it needs to be, because it's more difficult to bowl with an askew ramp). When your chair is mostly upright, in the position in which you intend to bowl, the back/rear level needs to indicate that your bowler is slightly tilted back (see picture in above instructions). You don't want it perfectly level (if it was, your ball would roll off too early) but you don't want your Bowler to be tilted too far back either, because it would take too much speed to get the ball to come down when you stop.

The reason the caster needs to be properly positioned is because it supports the end of the Bowling Arm when the ball comes down. That does two important things: (1) it helps maximize ball speed (our patent-pending design features a parabolic shape which translates the inertia and gravitational down force into maximum ball speed); and (2) it also makes for a smooth delivery and minimizes the potential for wear and tear on your wheelchair.

Incidentally, if my ball is seemingly going off-mark, I'll have my front bubble checked, to see if the Bowling Arm is perpendicular (but there are other reasons your ball could go off-line from where you aim that I'll discuss in the next section). If your caddy accidentally kicks the end of the Bowler (hopefully they don't trip and fall) or if he/she sets the ball down atop your Bowler very hard, it could get the Bowler (and front bubble) out of whack. But it's easy for them to fix, so no worries. I often bowl 3-5 games without needing the Bowling Arm adjusted.

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CHAIR IN (AT-LEAST) DECENT DRIVING CONDITION

I used to think my wheelchair needed to drive and stop perfectly straight, but that's not practical with most of us, and not totally necessary, I believe. Bowling success still comes down to the skill and knowledge of the driver, and how well we make adjustments.

Pay attention to what your chair does as you drive and when you stop. Does it pull right or left as you're going forward? Does it stop immediately? Does it tail off to the left or right when you stop?

Currently, my chair tends to pull to the right when I'm driving forward. So, as I approach the line, I just correct as I go. The key, obviously, is that you want to be aimed properly when you stop. It's kind of like sighting a gun, and aiming at a target. But also, my chair now tails off to the left when I stop (this makes for some challenging bowling:). So I have to aim further right than I would normally.

With my chair doing this, I have to share new info I just discovered. I've never bowled extensively with a hard tail off (it's a problem with the brakes & motors, which I think are combined in one unit for each drive wheel on most chairs). I've noticed that when it tails off to the left, if that causes my Bowler to be aimed too far left (and it will if I don't initially stop with it to the right of my target) I will try to make a quick correction to the right -- WHILE the ball is coming down. Sometimes this works, if the ball is still near the top, but a few times, when setup perfectly to bowl a straight ball, I was absolutely shocked to see my ball go significantly off-target (versus where my Bowler was pointed when finally stopped).

I realized that if I'm turning my chair while the ball is coming down, some of the inertia from the lateral movement "stays" with the ball, after it rolls off the end of the ramp -- even if I'm stopped before the ball reaches the end. I sat at the foul line in disbelief of what the ball did, so I asked my caddy to check the front bubble (which indicates an askew ramp and can cause the shot to travel a different path than expected). My bubble was fine and the knobs were tight; my clamps were flush, snug, and holding the Bowler level and with the caster just off the floor (see above regarding their setup). So then I paid more attention to my last-second lateral corrections and realized that unless the ball is near the top (and has enough ramp to travel to lose the lateral inertia) then it can affect the shot significantly.

So with my chair pulling right as I drive forward, and tailing left as I stop, that just barely qualifies as being in "at-least decent driving condition" -- but I managed a 179 in my 5th game (after I figured out how to adjust for it) which is always a good score (unless you're trying to beat someone who just scored higher:). I'm used to bowling without having to think about my driving; I've bowled enough that it's just natural. So accounting for the extra "left tail off" isn't an easy adjustment (I would say that sometimes it seems to tail more left than other times, but that messes with my head and if I think it's not consistent, it means I just have to get lucky with where I stop and how much it tails... "aaaaaaaahh!" he screams:).

So what is the fix? My chair acts as if the left brake is engaging too soon or the right brake isn't engaging (either would explain the left tail off). We can try to adjust how my brakes are programmed to stop, which might help, but most likely I need the brake/motor units replaced. But I'm sitting in a wheelchair that's 11.5 years old, and insurance companies and/or Medicare/Medicaid typically approve new chairs every five years. So I'm either getting a new chair, or getting the brakes & motors replaced on here (or both; my brakes & motors have been replaced before, but not in a long time). But until then, I just have to anticipate what my chair will do, and counteract it (by aiming significantly to the right of my target).

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UPDATE! 5/10/2009

Ok, I wrote the above before bowling yesterday, and shared all that detail in case it might help someone with a similar problem.

Yesterday, I "fought" my chair for four games and gave great effort, but my scores ranged from 111-130 -- I simply couldn't get any consistency with my chair tailing off to the left when I would stop. Talking afterward about getting a new chair with my buddy Ben, who has a chair I'm considering and he is also a sip-and-puff user like me, I asked if he liked his chair because I'd heard that the sip-and-puff was somewhat slow to respond (e.g. the chair wouldn't stop immediately). He said he uses his kill switch to stop quickly. I hadn't tried that.

A kill switch is designed to stop one's chair if you lose your driving method, e.g. if I hit a bump and my sip-and-puff straw gets away from my mouth as I'm driving forward the kill switch can stop me from running into danger.

So in Publix after bowling, with nice, level aisles, I asked Jackie to put me in my bowling mode (more on that below) and I simulated bowling and stopping via my kill switch (in pictures on my website, it's the yellow switch next to my head) and to my amazement, my chair stopped quickly -- AND STRAIGHT! NO TAIL OFF!

So I started thinking about it, and the "stop" input is the same as "turn left" but it's a hard sip, not a soft sip. So I realized I must have a sip-and-puff problem, because my attempt to input a hard sip, i.e. stop, it was registering as a soft sip initially (which turned me left) before it finally stopped. That explains why the amount it would turn me was inconsistent (one time it would turn me so that I needed to aim two-feet right of my target pin, and the next time it wouldn't turn me as much -- very frustrating).

So Jackie looked at my sip-and-puff which has a section of relatively thin tubing -- and she noticed three small holes in my tubing (almost pin-sized, like the tube was pinched repeatedly; I'm not sure how). But we have almost identical tubing with my nebulizer setups, and they sent a kind I don't like, so Jackie cut the one I don't like (a fantastic use for the tubing) and fixed it! I noticed my sip-and-puff is is more responsive, and that's just doing weightshifts. But I'm 99.9% sure that she solved my tail-off problem, or at least, it's not my right brake that is causing it. It's my sip-and-puff, and I think it's fixed. The brake worked fine when I stopped via my kill switch in Publix, so this all makes perfect sense. WOOHOO! :-)

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UPDATE: 5/30/2009

I thought my chair was fixed. It's a little better, but there's still something wrong with my sip-and-puff. It isn't as responsive as it used to be, or should be. My sip-and-puff control system has a difficult time recognizing a hard sip and a hard puff -- which, depending on whether I'm driving forward or in reverse -- those are my braking/stop inputs.

Sip-and-puff users have four different inputs available: hard sip, soft sip, hard puff, and soft puff. For the difference between a sip and a puff, think about drinking a glass of milk with a straw. Take a drink -- that's a sip. A puff would be "blowing milk bubbles" with your straw.

Even when I conscientiously sip or puff as hard as I can (my ability to do so is strong; that isn't the problem) the control unit doesn't immediately recognize the hard sip (or puff). Before it recognizes the sip (or puff) as hard, it first recognizes the sip (or puff) as soft -- and those are turning inputs. So as it "takes time" to recognize the sip (or puff) as hard, it turns me until it recognizes I am trying stop (by giving the correct hard input). Does that make sense?

That explains why I thought my right brake wasn't engaging. Because trying to stop while going forward, my hard sip was initially misinterpreted as a soft sip, which means turn left. So I would turn left for about a second, before stopping, and since I tried to stop with my Bowler aimed at my target, a second-worth of turning left would make me miss the shot by a LOT.

Granted, I have been trying to compensate for this left turn by aiming significantly to the right of my target, but I estimated one second of turning (i.e. soft sip recognition) before stopping (hard sip recognition) and I'm certain sometimes it would recognize the hard sip faster than others (meaning it could turn left anywhere from a half-second, to one and a half seconds, roughly). That means I simply had to get lucky and hope however far right I aimed would match how much left I would get turned before the stop was recognized.

* * * * *

STOPPING THE CHAIR WITH THE KILL SWITCH

Ben mentioned stopping his chair with his kill switch. Since the kill switch is supposed to immediately stop the chair, I thought I could use it to stop straight (from my earlier thoughts on this, it seemed to work great in Publix). What I found when bowling, was that the kill switch seemed to have a slight delay before it stopped me. Again, from my earlier thoughts on this, you may remember my chair pulls to the right as I go forward. However, that is influenced by the direction of my casters. For example, with my chair pulling right, my casters are going to the right, and if I hit the kill switch, the slight delay would result in my chair "drifting" farther right than I wanted.

However, if I gave a left turn input and got my casters going a little left, and then hit the kill switch, with the short delay, the amount of "right drift" was significantly less than the scenario in the above paragraph. But to execute shots, I often am turning either right or left (slightly either way) as I approach, to get my chair and Bowler in the proper position. So there were times when I would turn slightly left before hitting the kill switch, and my chair would only drift back right slightly before it stopped. Then other times, if I made a slight right turn before hitting the kill switch, it would drift right more than the previous scenario. THAT DROVE ME NUTS! :-)

As you can imagine (if I described that well) I had an extremely difficult time trying to execute shots with any consistency, and of course, I missed many. I think my four scores ranged from like 109-128, and when my sip-and-puff stops me "immediately," my average game is usually about 150 (sometimes, when I'm bowling particularly well, my average can be quite a bit over 150, but there are times my average is under 150 even with a properly functioning chair).

* * * * *

UPDATE: 1/2/2012

I eventually realized that my sip-and-puff tubing was super clogged and very little air could get through. Once my sip-and-puff was replaced, my chair started stopping straight again.

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KNOWING (AND LEARNING) YOUR BALL

First off, you should want to use a 16-pound bowling ball. That's the heaviest legal size. The heavier the ball, the greater the force (impact) it will have on the pins, and the greater the "pin action" will be (and greater pin action equals greater scores). I'd be happy to elaborate on the physics of it if desired.

Ok, you have to know what your ball will do (curve left, right, how much, stay straight, etc) in order to know where you want to aim and how you want to setup for your next shot. You should have choices.

Every bowling ball has some type of weight inside of it, and depending on the ball's positioning, the weight inside will cause the ball to curve one way or another, or go straight.
My ball curves or goes straight according to this chart: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/sample_ball_position_chart.htm

But I know IKAN Users with the same brand & style of ball (mine is a Columbia White Dot, one of the least expensive bowling balls made) and their balls break/curve differently than mine (not according to the above chart).

You don't have to own your own ball, but I highly recommend it, because otherwise you have to learn a house ball (one from the bowling alley) every time you bowl.

To learn what a ball will do... I would use my above chart and position your chair with the end of the Bowling Arm just behind the foul line, aiming straight ahead, and straight at the center arrow on the bowling lane. Using my chart, put the ball in each of the positions shown on the chart, and roll it off the Bowler to see how it curves (or doesn't) in each position. Just keep your chair setup to roll straight down the middle of the lane and bowl as if you're using a stationary ramp. You could do this every time you go bowling with a house ball, or you could buy a ball.

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BUYING A BALL

If you're looking for the absolute least expensive option, some bowling alleys will sell you a used house ball right off the racks for probably something quite reasonable (like $20 or maybe even $10). But if you're going to buy a house ball, get a signed note from management describing the ball and stating they sold you the ball. This could be important if you're bowling at their bowling alley, or any alley, who might have the same type of house balls.

For reasons stated above, you should want a 16-pound ball. Any type should work with an IKAN Bowler, but please read the next three paragraphs.

Some Quad Squad Bowlers use undrilled bowling balls successfully. I personally think it's more difficult to learn an undrilled ball, and it's more difficult for a caddy to carry and setup for you. But if your primary caddy or caddies don't mind carrying an undrilled ball, and have the patience to help you learn the ball (there's a dot on every undrilled ball that supposedly identifies the center of gravity, I think, and between the dot and the ball's logo, that gives two identifying markers that you can use to test the ball in different positions) in theory, it would be better than a drilled ball (if for nothing else, without drilling three finger holes, the ball would have greater mass and therefore more force at impact).

I actually tried an undrilled ball when we were first developing the IKAN Bowler, and I couldn't keep the undrilled ball on the lane. However it was setup, it would typically go in one gutter or the other, even though I was attempting to roll it right down the middle. Then we tried a drilled house ball, and with my first shot, I hit the headpin and knocked down 9 total pins.

If I was buying a ball, I would go to a bowling alley with a Pro Shop (they sell balls) and simply start trying different balls in stationary fashion as described above. I would start with the cheapest balls (plastic covered balls) -- even used balls -- and if I found one that curved quite a bit both ways, and would also go straight, that's what I would get if cost was a concern. If you don't find any you like, or if cost is a big concern, try a bunch of house balls until you find one you like and ask management if you can buy it (if so, get something in writing that says you own the ball, especially if you're going to bowl at that alley).

If cost wasn't a concern, I would try some more Pro Shop balls, especially some of the more expensive ones, because those balls, in theory, are better (the way they are made might make it spin faster). I would try to see if the better balls give better performance -- either by a ball speed increase, or a greater curve -- both of which would increase the impact between the ball and pins, and therefore increase pin action and your score.

I discuss buying a rolling ball bag in the "IKAN Bowler Storage and Transportation" section near the end of this blog entry.

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BOWLING STRATEGY

Some people bowl with every ball setup to go straight, no matter what the shot is (whether it's a strike or spare attempt, and no matter which pin or pins remain if it's a spare attempt). That's fine; some people are good at it, but for strike attempts, it's difficult to get the proper angle on the headpin, a.k.a. 1-pin, for a strike.

This link shows where you should aim for a strike attempt, and also how to pickup a particularly nasty split: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/dynamic_wheelchair_bowling_tips.htm

Personally, for a strike attempt, I like start the ball out to the right side of the lane and have a pretty big curve to the left, and hopefully it will hit right in the "pocket." The above link shows where the pocket is, and also where to hit the headpin for a Jersey or Brooklyn side strike (they mean the same thing; the link shows Jersey side for a right-handed bowler; it's the reverse for left-handed bowlers).

On strike attempts, right-handed professional bowlers almost always curve the ball from right to left into the pocket, so that's what I try to emulate (except my ball is traveling at about one-third of the speed of able-bodied male pros; what we IKAN Users lack in ball speed, we try to make up for with precision). If you hit directly on the nose of the headpin (between the two dots at the above link) that usually results in a nasty split (usually some combination of the 6, 7, 9, and 10 pins is left -- see the above link).

For spare attempts, my fellow Quad Squad Bowler Alex likes to use a moderate left or right curve, depending on what is left. I typically use a straight ball on every spare attempt. When we're both bowling well, we usually convert the majority of our of the makeable spares (everything but nasty splits, although as the above link says, I have picked up the 6-7-10 split six times, but considering how often I've had it, I convert it probably 2% of the time:).

Some splits are fairly makeable, and actually all but the 7-10 and 4-6-7-10 are possible (we don't have enough ball speed to slam either the 7 or the 10 off the side wall and over to the other corner pin on the 7-10 split; for the 4-6-7-10 split, it's possible to just shave the outer edge of the 6-pin and have it slide across the lane and hit the 7-pin while the ball gets the 10-pin, that's what the above link shows, but sliding across to get both the 4-pin and 7-pin doesn't work, and neither would the reverse shot).

Where to setup on the lane... that depends on what shot you are attempting and how you want to approach it. I like a long approach, so I always start back by the ball return. But some people use a shorter approach, which is ok (but it's not dynamic wheelchair bowling if your chair is stationary and you push the ball off -- that's another sport called, yep, stationary ramp bowling -- but the IKAN Bowler is great for it also, because the chair user can adjust the ramp him/herself, whereas some stationary ramp bowlers don't have the strength or arm ability to move the ramp themselves; they have to ask for assistance).

On my strike attempts, I usually position my chair roughly in line with the third arrow from the left -- but I drive toward the center arrow, and try to put the ball between the center arrow and the arrow to the right of center. My chair is usually angled slightly to the right after I stop. When I do it properly, it usually puts my ball out to the right pretty far (it probably gets to about 10-12 inches from the gutter, I'm guessing) and then it should come back and hopefully hit right "in the pocket" (see above link).

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WHEELCHAIR DRIVING TIPS (FOR BOWLING:)

I cannot emphasize bowling relatively "slow and in control" enough. By slow, I mean roughly the equivalent to an adult walking pace. You don't want to attempt to sprint from the short distance between the ball return and foul line. I tested that (I basically put my chair in sprint mode) and what little I gained in ball speed, I lost much more accuracy, and speed without accuracy means fast gutter balls (or errant shots).

If you're curious as to my speed tests... my chair will do about six mph. I setup Drive 4 to give me 100% speed in first gear (this is fun for an empty parking lot, but dangerous just about everywhere else:). Not only is it extremely difficult to stop at the right time (the total distance between where I start by the ball return to the foul line is about 12 feet, 15 at the most) but I had NO time to turn and essentially no accuracy. Additionally, it only took my ball speed up about one mph.

I tested the IKAN Bowler both as a stationary ramp and dynamically. As a stationary ramp it produced a ball speed of about 6.0 mph. When bowling dynamically, at appropriate driving speeds, the ball speeds range from roughly 6.1 to 6.5 mph. My ball speeds are usually closer to 6.1 mph, but my teenage buddy Alex likes to drive a little faster, and his ball speeds are closer to 6.5 mph.

When I tried crazy bowling at 100% speed (incidentally, I did this after hours with management's permission -- if they saw a chair user driving that fast they would definitely tell you to slow down -- or throw you out -- and they might not let another chair user come bowl if they think everyone might do that) AND the ball speed didn't even break 7.0 mph (it was like 6.8 or 6.9 mph). So it's best to drive at a speed at which you can aim and stop properly, i.e. relatively slow and in control.

Remember, the end of your Bowling Arm (ramp) should not cross the foul line. That means your wheels should never get real close to the foul line, so if you do happen to foul (by a few inches, or even a foot), only the Bowling Arm's caster should touch the lane. You also don't want your caster to be resting on the floor as you approach the foul line (the caster is designed to simply support the ramp when the ball comes down; after the ball leaves, the ramp should raise to the one-quarter to one-half inch range at which it was initially setup).

If your caster was touching the floor as you drive forward (you can hear it, it isn't designed to roll that fast) it could affect your ability to turn, but if you foul, you're going to pickup a fair amount of oil from the lane and drag it back and forth as you bowl. Bowling alleys won't appreciate that as other people could later get injured.

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A DRIVE MODE FOR BOWLING

I have a drive mode specifically programmed for bowling. I think most power wheelchairs have multiple driving modes (mine has four) that can be programmed for different conditions. For example, my default mode, Drive 1, is my safe "indoors" mode which is pretty slow and doesn't have continuous (latched) reverse, so I can navigate indoors without hitting things (or people:). Actually, Drive 2 and Drive 3 are both programmed for bowling. They both are a little faster than Drive 1 (I wanted "first gear" to be a little faster than my indoors setting) and I have reduced the turning speed quite a bit. The very slow turning speed means that I will only make small adjustments left or right as I approach the foul line.

Think about this: the end of my Bowling Arm (ramp) extends out I'm guessing a good three feet from my wheel base, so it's similar to how a shotgun or rifle would extend out. Turning your base a little would make the end of the gun move quite a bit. So to make small adjustments in how I'm aimed, I have very slow turning speeds.

My Drive 2 and Drive 3 are both very similar. I don't own the device that programs my chair, so I looked at the print out of my four drive modes, decided what adjustments I thought would be good for bowling, and had my wheelchair service technician put my two best guesses in Drive 2 and Drive 3. Then I tested both at the bowling alley and I like Drive 3 best.

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MY DRIVE SETTINGS FOR BOWLING

In the previous blog entry, I mentioned I initially setup two drive modes for bowling.

The below link shares roughly what my actual drive settings are.

Note of caution: depending on your motors and driving system, my settings may not be good for you.

I actually think the torque settings (the amount of "power" available for turning) is wrong on the below PDF, because that list was initially setup using my chair's original two-pole motors, not the more powerful four-pole motors that it currently has. The torque settings I think are about half (or even less than half) of the percentages shown in the file.

I think the key is the turning speed. I have my turning speed at only 20% in my bowling mode, whereas it's 35% in Drive 1, which is my safe/indoors mode.

If you aren't sure how to read that table, Drive 2 has my forward speed at 60%, but notice it's "latched type" is three speed. That means I have essentially three "gears" to get up to 60% of my chair's maximum speed. Maximum speed for my chair, I think is six mph. So when I am in Drive 2, one hard puff gets me rolling forward at probably 20% speed and that is essentially first gear (it's like an electronic gear). Another hard puff is essentially second gear and is probably about 40% speed. In order to reach the programmed setting of 60% speed in Drive 2, I have to give another hard puff to put it in third gear.

Now that you know what the three-speed gears are like, I bowl only in first gear. As described above, it's probably about 22% of my chair's maximum speed, but my moderately-paced approach allows me to adjust as I go forward and when my chair is behaving properly, I'm usually pretty accurate.

You might wonder what the alternative to "three speed" latched type is, and for my chair, I believe it's one-speed. That means that whatever speed percentage the Drive mode is set for, the chair will accelerate and reach that speed as fast as possible. This can be fun -- DANGEROUS -- but fun in the right situation. Just for fun, I had my wheelchair guy setup Drive 4 with 100% speed, on one-speed. With the vent on the back of my chair, if I tilted back a little from my most-upright seating position, I can actually pop wheelies and have my two front casters off the ground for about 8-10 feet before they come back down.

I actually don't know if my Drive 4 is still set on the dangerous 100% one-speed setting. It's dangerous because if I get put into Drive 4 and don't realize it, I could easily crash into something -- and that happened once. One time in my bedroom, I guess my nurse kept hitting the toggle switch which turns my chair on, but if it's pulled in the on-direction while it's already on, that advances the Drive mode. So I actually accelerated like a maniac and crashed into my bed. Fortunately I was wearing shoes and there was no damage to my body, chair, or bed.

If you're curious as to why the below file has two tables, the top is my current/previous/old settings. The blank table is so we can make note of any changes to new settings, if I want or need something changed. (Then I can later add the new/current settings to my file; I'll share the Word file if anyone wants to put their name and settings into a file like mine.)

Bill Miller's wheelchair settings (Drive 3 is my bowling mode):http://www.lookmomnohands.net/objects/BillMillerWheelchairSettings.pdf

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HOW TO KEEP SCORE

Do you know how to calculate the score?

I know, "the machine does it for you, just look up." :-)

To add your score yourself, when you get a spare, you add the next ball to the frame in which you just got the spare. For example, in frame one, if you bowl your first ball and get 9 pins down, and pickup the single-pin spare with your next shot, notice the machine waits to fill in your score for that frame. And if you get 8 pins with your next shot (the first shot of your second frame) it will add the 8 pins to the 10 total pins (9 + 1) that you got in the first frame, and put "18" in frame one. If you get one of the two remaining pins in your second frame, your total that frame is 9 and your score after two frames will be 27.

If you have a strike, you add the next two balls, not just one. For example, with a strike in the first frame, followed by the 8 + 1 in the second frame (like the above example) then both the 8 and 1 would get added to the strike frame, giving 19 (10 + 8 + 1 = 19) in the first frame and 9 more total in the second, for a 28 after two frames.

Compound strikes REALLY add up. Three consecutive strikes adds 20 to the first strike (10 + 10) and consecutive strikes really can help you score big. With our moderate ball speed, getting strikes requires either near-perfect placement, or some luck -- but you absolutely MUST hit the headpin to have a chance for a strike. Consecutive strikes are a key to scoring "big" which I'll discuss more now.

* * * * *

HOW TO SCORE "BIG"

First, we have to define "big" and there are several ways to do so.

Each wheelchair user has different physical circumstances (including the driving method and condition of their chair; as I described above, it can make a huge difference) but breaking 100 should be every beginner's goal, and it's "big" for a beginner. Then I advocate trying to keep breaking your personal record, and in doing so, you could be setting category world records for dynamic wheelchair bowling, like these: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/wheelchair_bowling_records.htm.

"Big" is certainly any score you achieve that breaks your personal record. But, in a general sense, I'll define scores in the 150s as "pretty big" and 160-Club (a score in the 160s), 170-Club, 180-Club, and 190-Club denote progressively bigger achievements.

The REAL "BIG" that we can all agree on is 200. To break 200, you have to have some consecutive strikes -- usually at least two consecutive strikes, and if you only have two consecutive strikes, then you probably need marks in every other frame (a mark is a spare or a strike; a frame without a mark is called an open frame). With multiple consecutive strikes, it's possible to break 200 even with an open frame, or two, if you have enough consecutive strikes.

To my knowledge, there are presently three IKAN Users in the 200-Club: the overall world record holder, Jon Musgrave (see above link for record scores); a Veteran named Anthony who I believe had a high game of 214 before he passed away (he loved bowling, and his passing underscores the need for us wheelchair users to enjoy our days as much as possible); and me, with a current personal best of 206, as of 5/10/2009.

Strategy wise, you have to hit the headpin (preferably either cheek, as described above) in order to give yourself a chance at a strike. I try to put my ball in the pocket (the headpin's left cheek) but if I miss, hopefully it will cross over the nose of the headpin and hit Jersey (the right cheek of the headpin for a right-handed bowling approach). If you hit the nose, you have to get lucky and hope you're not left with a nasty split (hopefully you'll leave either one or two in one corner, not one or two in both corners). If you don't get a strike (I've gone as many as four full games without a strike) you have to convert your makeable spares.

I think I've had four total games with a mark in each frame. And since I've broken 200 seven times (I've bowled three 201s, two 202s, a 203, and a 206 as of 5/10/2009) that means I broke 200 several times while having an open frame. So make sure you hit the headpin, preferably in the pocket or Jersey side, and hopefully a strike will result. If not, hopefully you're left with a very makeable spare.

* * * * *

IKAN BOWLER STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION

My bowler sits on the front seat of my van; the Universal Mount on a towel on the seat, and the Bowling Arm leaning up against the seat -- not attached to the mount -- and all seatbelted in. After arriving at the bowling alley, my caregiver usually puts the Universal Mount on in the parking lot so I carry it in. If it it's a bowling alley I'm familiar with, I'll often carry the Bowling Arm in also. But if I have the Bowling Arm attached, I make sure I'm tilted back enough that the end of my Bowling Arm is off the ground roughly 6-8 inches until I get inside (the bowling alleys I frequent either have a curb cutout or speed bump to negotiate).

Incidentally, if you're planning to roll in with your full IKAN Bowler attached, and it's a bowling alley you aren't familiar with, have your caregiver check inside to see if you can navigate safely down to the bowling area. Some alleys are crowded either by design or with many people.

Your caregiver should also check to see if the bowling surface is accessible. Some older bowling alleys have a step near the ball return. If you choose to bowl there, you'll definitely need a ramp by the ball return, so if you back up too far, you start down a ramp instead of going off a step. In that scenario, have your caddy do a reverse count down as you backup 3... 2... 1... stop! That can help you stay away from the step.

If you buy your own ball (which I highly recommend, even if it's a used house ball; see above) chances are you'll want to also buy a ball-bag that has wheels and rolls in. If your primary caddy is someone who will also want to bowl with you, you might want to get a two-ball roller bag. But as a starting point for price, know that you can get a one-ball roller, brand new and delivered, for about $40 online. So if you buy one locally, try to do better than $40 if you just want a one-ball bag with wheels.

With a rolling ball bag, you can bungee cord your IKAN Bowler Arm to your ball bag, and roll it in. You can actually put the Universal Mount on the bag too. Of course if your caddy/caregiver is relatively young and strong, he/she can carry the equipment in. A less-able caregiver can always ask someone at the bowling alley for assistance, or you can invite a young & strong friend to bowl with you. I'm just pointing out the various options possible, so an IKAN Bowler owner can potentially bowl as often as desired.

With that -- I'm DONE with my "keys and tips for dynamic wheelchair bowling!"

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at billmiller@ikanbowler.com.

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

IKAN User Profile: Lilian Strandlund, Florida

2009-03-31T23:24:00.005-04:00

Last month I introduced you to Angie Keiser, a delightful, record-setting woman who is 65-years-young. The person who introduced Angie to IKAN-style bowling was Lilian Strandlund, Angie's good friend, who is also a delightful, record-setting woman.

Born with cerebral palsy that has her using a power wheelchair, Lilian is 59-years-young and has never let her disability stop her from living life. Imagine being born 40 years before the ADA and being a wheelchair user, yet Lilian graduated high school on time with her able-bodied peers and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts 2-D from Cal State University (Northridge). Lilian was a selling artist before her daughter was born in 1981. Now Lilian is a business owner, and recently traveled from Florida to California with her boyfriend Ed for her high school's 40th class reunion. Did I mention that her CP affects her ability to speak?

That makes her accomplishments even more impressive, and it didn't stop Lilian from joining a Toastmaster's speaking group -- and giving speeches -- which is where she met my Dad and learned of the IKAN Bowler.

And as of March 14, 2009... Lilian Strandlund has become a big-time achiever in the sport of dynamic wheelchair bowling. Lilian bowled a most impressive 189, which to date, sets the top record for anyone with CP, for a female who drives her chair by joystick, AND for ALL female dynamic wheelchair bowlers! That's not bad -- three world records with one game. Lilian opened her multiple record-setting game with a strike, followed it with a spare, then another strike, and spares the rest of the way. She had no open frames -- a task that is not easy to accomplish, as any bowler will tell you, able-bodied or not.

CONGRATULATIONS LILIAN and keep up the impressive work! :-)

Here's a link to Lilian's scoresheet:
http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Lilian_Strandlund_Multiple_Records_189.htm

And here are Lilian's IKAN User profile answers:

Name: Lilian Strandlund
Age: 59
Location: Mt. Dora, FL
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Cerebral Palsy
Onset or Injury Date: Birth
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick
High Bowling Score: 189
Approx. Bowling Average: 135
Typical Range of Scores: 115 - 165
Bowling Frequency: Once a week in league bowling and twice a month for Quad Squad Team
Bowling Ball(s): Yellow Dot 16 lbs
Quote from Lilian: "Having a positive attitude is most important for achieving your goals. Taking action to acquire your goals is the second most important. If you think you can, you can! If you think you can't, you can't. You can choose how you want to think."

Great quote Lilian, thanks!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

IKAN User Profile: Angie Keiser, Florida

2009-02-28T23:55:00.010-05:00

Angie Keiser is a delightful woman who is 65-years-young and also a friend & fellow Central Florida Quad Squad member. Angie is actually a paraplegic, and has taken a challenge that many younger paraplegics have yet to attempt, and that is to try dynamic bowling with a manual wheelchair. Dynamic bowling uses the movement of the wheelchair to simulate the able-bodied bowling process (i.e. setup, physically approach the foul line and release the ball from the momentum of the stopping wheelchair) which is what using the IKAN Bowler enables any wheelchair user to do.

I actually think using a manual wheelchair is harder than bowling dynamically with a power wheelchair, which makes Angie's record score even more impressive. Since Angie is the first manual wheelchair user to bowl somewhat extensively with the IKAN Bowler, I believe her very respectable 138 is the current world record for dynamic wheelchair bowling (as described above).

Congratulations Angie and keep up the good work trying to raise the bar for manual wheelchair users! :-)

Here's a link to Angie's scoresheet:
http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/Angie_Keiser_Manual_Record_138.htm

Here is the master list of dynamic wheelchair bowling records:
http://www.wheelchairbowlingrecords.com/

Here are Angie's IKAN User profile answers:

Name: Angie Keiser
Age: 65
Location: Eustis, Florida
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Spinal Cord Injury at T6 (Incomplete paralysis from sternum down).
Onset of Injury Date: December 23, 1995 (age 52)
Wheelchair Operation Method: Manual
High Bowling Score: 138
Approx. Bowling Average: 103
Typical Range of Scores: 53-135
Bowing Frequency: Twice a month for four months. Love to do more. Need my own IKAN equipment and someone to come with me who knows how it works. [Bill here, we can easily teach anyone how it works, no worries.]
Bowling Ball: Bill's extra ball - I think its 16 lb. - don't know make. Ball has a tendency to curve when thrown. [Bill here, I need to explain more about bowling balls and also offer general IKAN User tips, which I will make a blog entry out of, and I'll definitely share it with you Angie.]
Quote from Angie: "Bowling makes me feel alive!"

I love your quote, thanks Angie!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

New Record for a Male with Muscular Dystrophy!

2009-01-31T22:16:00.012-05:00

At Quad Squad bowling this month, 16 year old Alex McDonald set--and reset--the record for power wheelchair bowling by a male with Muscular Dystrophy!

Since I'm going to post the verified scoresheet, I have to "explain" Alex's first game... warm up! Typically speaking, the first few strike attempts and spare attempts, it is a "feeling out" process to see how our bowling ball will break with certain shots, given the lane conditions, and also how our IKAN Bowlers are set up, and it's also all relative to how our bodies are positioned in our chairs. So when you see that Alex opened with a 91, that isn't his usual, but it is not uncommon to see missed shots and multiple splits particularly in the first game as we get acclimated (the circled number below indicates a split).

So after a warm up game, Alex started heating up. He improved his second game by 30 points, then went "off" in his third game. I was bowling next to him and we have a healthy (and friendly) competition.

Alex started bowling his third game before I started mine, so as he made a good shot, I needed to answer. After opening with an open frame, Alex quickly got on a roll. He actually finished with just two open frames that game--he had either a strike or spare in the eight other frames--and finished with a new MD record of 180! :-)

I managed to keep the heat on Alex and finished with 176 that game. I congratulated Alex on his new record, and we both wanted to bowl a fourth game. Once again, Alex started with an open frame (a difficult split) but then he finished with NO open frames and smashed his 180 with an impressive 192! :-)

Again I kept the heat on with another 176, but the bowling day clearly belonged to Alex. And so does the record for power wheelchair bowling by a male with Muscular Dystrophy!

Congratulations Alex, and welcome to the 190-Club! I sincerely look forward to you joining the 200-Club with me and two others (Jon Musgrave, the overall record holder with a 243 high game; and a Veteran named Anthony, who I believe had a 214 high game, but unfortunately he passed away--which helps to underscore the importance of us wheelchair users enjoying ourselves when we can, just like able-bodied people do, and bowling is a good way we can).

May God bless all who read this and may you find some enjoyment every day--bowling or otherwise!

Click HERE for Alex's scoresheet!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Smother Movie on TV

2008-12-31T22:55:00.003-05:00

The movie Smother, a comedy & drama starring Diane Keaton and Liv Tyler, is on TV nationwide in the U.S. five times in the next week. Why am I mentioning it on my blog?

Our IKAN Bowler was selected as a product to be used in the movie. It has a brief appearance, and a slightly odd one at that. I don't want to give anything away (to spoil the scene) but I will say the IKAN Bowler is attached to a three-wheeled scooter. That was a shock to us, since it's designed for wheelchairs. However, we were impressed that the Hollywood people were able to attach it to a scooter, and we are looking into the possibility of adapting our IKAN Bowler for use with common three-wheeled scooters that people with limited mobility use.

So, if you're interested in watching Smother, here's the upcoming schedule:

Sat. Jan. 3 9:00 PM Eastern on Lifetime
Sun. Jan. 4 12:00 AM Eastern on Lifetime
Sun. Jan. 4 9:00 PM Eastern on Lifetime
Mon. Jan. 5 12:00 AM Eastern on Lifetime
Tue. Jan. 6 9:00 PM Eastern on Lifetime

Here's the link where I got the above TV info:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0867591/tvschedule

Here's the link for more on Smother:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0867591/

AND, here's the link if you want to see video of how the IKAN Bowler works with wheelchairs:

http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/2007/06/two-videos-and-slideshow-on-power.html

May all who read this have a Happy New Year and BLESSED 2009!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Belated Thanksgiving Thoughts...

2008-11-30T23:31:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone! :-)

In the spirit of empowering people and wheelchair users, I want to quickly share my philosophy on "worrying" and also share a few simple things that anyone with a computer & Internet connection can do to make the world a little bit better.

Philosophy on Worrying

You may have noticed I sometimes write "no worries" which may seem odd since I happen to be ventilator-dependent and paralyzed from the neck down. What "no worries" means is that it makes absolutely no sense to "worry" about things that we cannot control. Worrying doesn't help anything, but it can make a person physically ill. Personally, I pray and turn all major concerns over to God and let Him worry about them. That unburdens my mind so that I can focus on today and what I can do. We all have concerns, but I believe we can all have "no worries" too.

Make the World a Little Better

On Thanksgiving, most of us had an abundance of food. But there are people who did not, and the below website is called "free rice" and it is a way we can play some simple "intellectual games" (vocabulary, geography, math, and more) and each correct answer results in 20 grains of rice being donated through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger. They have multiple choice questions of varying degrees of difficulty, and I find it to be a fun way to both learn something and help the hungry.

http://www.freerice.com

You can also make a difference--in less than one minute--for SIX different charities! By simply visiting the below websites and clicking their free "donate button" you make a sponsor-paid donation for each cause.

http://www.thehungersite.com - the hunger site
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com - the breast cancer site
http://www.thechildhealthsite.com - the child health site
http://www.theliteracysite.com - the literacy site
http://www.therainforestsite.com - the rain forest site
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com - the animal rescue site

This Thanksgiving, with our world in seemingly uncertain times, I felt it appropriate to share these thoughts. Thank you for indulging me.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving and may God bless you & yours! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net

Quadriplegic Graduates with 4.0

2008-08-23T23:55:00.011-04:00

The purpose of my blog is to show how wheelchair users, especially power wheelchair users, can be and are being empowered -- mostly through sport (bowling and power soccer). But perhaps the MOST empowering activity one can do is to increase his/her education. Increasing one's education is arguably more important for someone with a significant physical disability, since it isn't possible to earn a living doing manual labor. Apparently, education level can impact happiness too.

With regard to quadriplegics, I read that quads who continue or "complete" their education (and perhaps those who achieved higher education before becoming quadriplegic) are often happier than quads with less education. I believe being happy is a choice that essentially anyone can make, regardless of education level or even disability, but I do see how achieving higher education can help someone feel happy. Thinking about my long educational journey and the challenges I conquered... it is something I will always appreciate and can feel good about. Here are some details...

I became a quadriplegic literally 11 years ago today -- August 23rd, 1997. I was injured just before I was to begin my senior year at THE University of Florida as a math major. I spent three months in hospitals and was discharged from Shepherd Center in Atlanta as a C1-2 ventilator-dependent quadriplegic (much like Christopher Reeve). I had to move home with my parents and team of family caregivers who cover all times when we don't have a nurse (I currently have 40 hours of nursing coverage a week). I've been as busy and productive as possible since returning home (I haven't spent one full day in bed, ever since I've been home). With good caregivers & caregiver routines, I have been quite healthy, despite my paralysis (knock on wood and thank you God:).

But I plan to be financially independent one day -- whether still paralyzed or not. That meant going back to school, and there is only one school from which I ever wanted to graduate -- UF. To go back required an online option, and boy was I THRILLED to learn they have an Online BSBA Program (Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration). I needed some prerequisites, which UF advisor Jill Lingard told me I could acquire online via St. Petersburg College (one can earn an entire AA degree online via their eCampus). I actually started back to school four years ago today -- on the 7th anniversary of my injury.

I completed the Online BSBA Program with a 4.0 GPA (straight A average) and graduated with honors from the University of Florida two weeks ago -- August 9, 2008. It was important to me to "ace" the Program because I wanted to demonstrate that I can be highly successful despite being vent-dependent and paralyzed from the neck down. And I actually rolled across the stage in Gainesville, too.

I almost did not get to roll across the graduation stage. My wheelchair is extra long, largely due to the ventilator on back. UF has a hydraulic lift to raise wheelchair users to the stage, except it wasn't designed with chairs like mine in mind. I was barely in what was like a metal box, and my feet were pushing the door forward. As they tried to raise me the door caught the stage -- and the STAGE WAS COMING UP! That happened twice! Finally, on the third attempt, some people pushed the door back away from the stage and the lift cleared.

You can see me roll across the stage on UF's webcast of the graduation ceremony (commencement) at the below link (on that page, scroll down to "Previous Commencement Webcasts" then choose morning ceremony and your desired player). I roll across at about one hour, 25 minutes, and 30 seconds. Start about 1:24:30 and you'll see the UF official in the Orange & Blue robe who is ushering students through. You'll see him stop the line and take a couple steps forward. That's when the stage was coming up; he was telling them to stop and go back down. Then you'll see me roll across the stage. Click HERE for the commencement page!

Also, if you go to the Online BSBA web page, you'll see a picture of the summer graduates and I'm on the right side of the picture -- click HERE (ok they apparently already removed the picture, but I did a "print screen" command and captured it; click HERE for the picture!).

I shared my "full" educational journey on my website before writing this blog entry. I shared some different things above, and if you want additional details on my educational journey and where I'm planning to "go" from here... click HERE! Thanks...

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Quadriplegic Student Bill Miller Is Graduating!

2008-07-31T23:44:00.003-04:00

Please see my next entry titled "Quadriplegic Graduates with 4.0" -- thanks!

Bill Miller :-)

IKAN User Profile: Vicki Price, Minnesota

2008-06-01T23:41:00.012-04:00

Vicki Price is an active high school student in Minnesota, and happens to have Cerebral Palsy (the type of CP that necessitates wheelchair use, similar to what Melissa Sino has, who I profiled with my previous blog entry). According to her father Scott, Vicki LOVES to bowl. She also loves horses, computer and board games, shopping, baking, FISHING and many other activities.

Regarding bowling, Scott wrote, "in the state of MN, bowling is one of 4 adapted sports that is sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League. As such, the kids can earn varsity letters. They can also participate in the state tournament (if they qualify) and earn medals. It is a very wonderful program for all participants. We approached the coach of our bowling team and made a request for the bowling arm (IKAN Bowler) after I had done some research on the Internet. We were successful in getting approval to have the bowling arm purchased for use by my daughter. We have used the IKAN Bowler for about a year now and really, really love it!"

Thanks Scott and Vicki! Here's Vicki's profile info...

Name: Vicki Price
Age: 16
Location: Andover, MN (outside of Minneapolis)
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Spastic Quadreparesis Cerebral Palsy
Onset or Injury Date: Birth
Wheelchair Operation Method: Head array
High Bowling Score: 127
Approximate Bowling Average: 73
Typical Range of Scores: 50-90
Bowling Frequency: Once a week for a recreational adapted bowling league during the winter months. Twice a week during the adapted bowling season for high school.
Bowling Ball(s): A 14 pound alley ball (can you say "free"?:)
Quote from Vicki: "Let's go fishing!" (Vicki fishes with adapted equipment; it's setup so that when a bobber disappears, Vicki can hit a switch with her head, and it reels in her fish -- Scott says Vicki routinely out-fishes him -- keep up the good work Vicki!:)

Here's an article about Vicki and her activities:

http://www.easystand.com/standing-room-only/details.cfm?genericID=16

Here's a video about Vicki, as a success story for EasyStand, and they even show her bowling:

Scott Price has a blog titled "Raising Prices" which sheds light on raising six adopted children (including Vicki) who all have special needs of some sort: http://raisingprices.blogspot.com/

Keep up the good work, Scott and family, and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

IKAN User Profile: Melissa Sino, Florida

2008-02-29T23:54:00.003-05:00

My friend Melissa Sino is currently setting the bowling-pace for power wheelchair users with Cerebral Palsy. Her high score (see below) is tops in both the Cerebral Palsy category and the "head control" driving method category. I have to explain Melissa's comment after stating her high score below... since technically I'm the co-inventor of the IKAN Bowler, I've bowled with it quite a bit; so I should be good with it, plus I'm naturally competitive (I was the first IKAN User to break 200 in bowling). My Dad knows all of these things, so he offered a standing $20 reward to any IKAN User who can beat my top score of the afternoon (not my current high game of 206, just the best of the usual 3, 4, or 5 games I bowl with the Quad Squad). My Dad calls it "ego control" and, I admit, it does make bowling even more fun and challenging with the friendly competition. And yes, as Melissa says below, she did indeed beat me one afternoon and collected the $20 reward! :-)

Name: Melissa Sino
Age: 21 (22 soon!:)
Location: Central Florida (Celebration)
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Cerebral Palsy (quadriplegic, augmented communicator)
Onset or Injury Date: Birth
Wheelchair Operation Method: Proximity head array
High Bowling Score: 169 and BEAT Bill one time & won $20! :-)
Approx Bowling Average: 125
Typical Range of Scores: 90-140
Bowling Frequency: One to two times per month usually with the Central Florida Quad Squad
Bowling Ball(s): 16 lb Brunswick Zone, non-drilled (fluorescent colors swirl = Christmas gift from cousins) [Bill, here, I have to add that I think bowling with an undrilled ball is MORE difficult than a drilled ball; it works for Melissa, but I bowled terribly with an undrilled ball, so to me, that makes Melissa's bowling more impressive!]
Quote from Melissa: "Happiness is a Choice -- Life is Supposed to be FUN!!!"

I absolutely love your quote, thank you Melissa!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Working 2 Walk -- How To Help

2008-01-31T23:56:00.000-05:00

This blog is aimed at spreading awareness about how people with high level paralysis can experience -- and are experiencing -- a better quality of life, primarily through the fun, social, and competitive aspects that participating in a sport can provide. Bowling and/or playing power soccer can improve life now -- but, longterm... we still need science, medicine, and the Good Lord's blessing (which I believe we have) to develop therapies that restore significant function and "cure" paralysis.

With the passing of Christopher Reeve in 2004, we lost the "face" and most ardent advocate for paralysis and spinal cord injury (SCI) research. Instead of just one person trying to fill his mammoth shoes, those of us in the paralysis community who wish to see a cure sooner rather than later, we all need to do our part to help bring truly beneficial therapies to fruition ASAP. That's the vision that led to the formation of Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP), a group with whom I'm proud to associate. U2FP, working with the Christopher Reeve Foundation, held the inaugural Working 2 Walk (W2W) Science and Advocacy Symposium in 2006 and another successful event in 2007.

The 3rd annual Working 2 Walk, 2008, is being held in Washington DC April 13-15 and is "... a 3-day event for leaders in the paralysis community who want to advocate for a cure, including family members, supporters, scientists, therapists, and anyone interested in joining this critical effort. The event focuses on education and empowerment to become effective advocates."

Really, anyone can help. If you have a SCI, and can go to Washington DC for the three days, please consider doing so (see links to more info below). Anyone else who is reading this can let their elected officials (the ones in Washington DC) know that you support passing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA), which will provide much-needed infrastructure for bringing about legitimate therapies AND help improve quality of life for people currently living with paralysis. It does NOT have anything to do with using "controversial" embryonic stem cells.

For more information, checkout the below links.
http://www.working2walk.org/
http://www.unite2fightparalysis.org/

THANKS -- and God bless!

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 206 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
My blog: http://powerwheelchairusers.blogspot.com/
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Smother Movie Trailer (Has IKAN Bowler in It)

2007-12-31T18:04:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

I still don't know when the movie Smother will be released in theaters, or if it will go straight to video, but below is the trailer (movie preview) for it. With Diane Keaton and Liv Tyler (two of Hollywood's A-list in my opinion) I would think it would be released in theaters. But, anyway, our wheelchair bowling device, the IKAN Bowler, is attached to a three-wheeled scooter (scooter bowling, anyone?:) and makes an appearance at the 1:44 point of the trailer. As a word of caution, the movie is R-rated and the trailer is probably PG-13 (although children probably wouldn't pickup on the innuendo)...

Click HERE for the direct YouTube link.

Click HERE for five things to know about power wheelchair bowling!

IKAN User Profile: Jeff Parker, Florida

2007-11-30T23:50:00.000-05:00

My buddy, and fellow Central Florida Quad Squad Bowler, Jeff Parker is this month's profile. Bowling wise, Jeff sets the pace for bowlers with Muscular Dystrophy; his high score (mentioned with his below profile) is the current record for bowlers with MD. Jeff has a zest for life; he loves having fun and loves watching NASCAR (his favorite driver is Tony Stewart). A while back, Jeff said that bowling with the IKAN Bowler "is an absolute blast, the most fun I’ve had in a long time." And it really didn't surprise me when he added a touch of NASCAR/Tony Stewart to his IKAN Bowler, by having some friends paint a special black finish with orange, razor-edged flames on the sides his IKAN Bowler! :-)

Here's Jeff's profile, and pictures are below...

~~~~~

Name: Jeff Parker
Age: 37
Location: Lady Lake, FL
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Onset or Injury Date: I was diagnosed in 1975 and have been in a wheelchair for 25 years.
Wheelchair Operation Method: Joystick operated
High Bowling Score: 172
Approximate Bowling Average: 135
Typical Range of Scores: 100-150
Bowling Frequency: Generally once a month when our Central Florida Quad Squad bowls at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, but I do occasionally go to Classique Lanes when Quad Squad bowling is there in Tavares. [Ok, Bill here interjecting this comment... what readers don't know is Jeff likes to talk some trash when he's bowling, so I'm going to throw some back here: "Come on Jeff, Spanish Springs is 5 minutes from your house -- you gotta bowl more often if you're gonna beat me more than once in a blue moon at Quad Squad outings!!!" :-)]
Bowling Ball(s): Columbia White Dot but I’m looking for a new one.
Quote from Jeff: "Life is too short; live each day to the fullest!"

~~~~~

Thanks for sharing and being a good sport Jeff! :-)

Click HERE for two videos and a slideshow of two Quad Squad outings (before Jeff got his flames on his Bowler) and here's the pictures of his new paint job...

IKAN User Profile: Jon Musgrave, Colorado

2007-10-31T03:34:00.003-04:00

I've mentioned Jon Musgrave in some previous blog entries. Jon is the world record holder for dynamic bowling by a wheelchair user. When he got an IKAN Bowler, he bowled 3-5 days per week for more than a year, and wrote: "Who could have thought that one thing could change a person's life so much. I have something that I'm good at to look forward to enjoying every day; something I can share with my family and friends. I can tell you this for sure, my life has not been the same since I got my IKAN Bowler®."

See below to find out more...

~~~~~

Name: Jon Musgrave
Age: 36
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Spinal Cord Injury C4-5
Onset or Injury Date: April 19, 1991
Wheelchair Operation Method: powerchair joystick
High Bowling Score: 243 <-- World Record (see scoresheet HERE:)
Approximate Bowling Average: 165
Typical Range of Scores: 130-214 (like Bill, I'm also not the most consistent:)
Bowling Frequency: Lately on Monday nights with my 10 year old son in a league, and I try to go once or twice a week. My 243 is good, but I want to be the first to bowl 300! :-)
Bowling Ball(s): First ball is a Hurricane; second (for spares) is a Columbia White Dot
Quote from Jon: "Bowling is a great way to take your mind away from everything and just be happy."

~~~~~

Thanks for sharing Jon! :-)

Click HERE for five things to know about power wheelchair bowling!

IKAN User Profile: Bill Miller, Florida

2007-09-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

Most of the previous blog entries were to set the foundation with all the background info about power wheelchair bowling, power soccer, and how our products can empower wheelchair users (scroll down or click HERE for Five Key Things to Know). Now I want to start profiling people who think life is better as an IKAN User.

To kick this off, since I haven't established a format yet, I'm going to start with me and get my profile out of the way.

~~~~~

Name: Bill Miller
Age: 30
Location: Central Florida (Leesburg)
Reason for Wheelchair Use: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) at C1-2 level
Onset or Injury Date: August 23rd, 1997
Wheelchair Operation Method: Sip-and-puff
High Bowling Score: 202 (twice achieved)
Approximate Bowling Average: 155
Typical Range of Scores: 130-180 (I'm NOT the most consistent!:)
Bowling Frequency: Typically twice a month for Quad Squad outings (scroll down or click HERE for Quad Squad info; I'd like to bowl more, but my current schedule won't allow it)
Bowling Ball(s): Columbia White Dot (very economical)
Quote from Bill: "Life doesn't have to be a spectator sport -- even for people with significant physical challenges."

~~~~~

The Quad Squad...

2007-08-31T23:50:00.000-04:00

The Quad Squad refers to a group of friends with varying levels and types of quadriplegia (a quadriplegic is broadly defined as someone with impairment in all four limbs and can result from spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and other conditions).

We have a Central Florida Quad Squad group that goes bowling regularly. Quad Squad member Rhonda Reese, a C4-5 quadriplegic since August of 1991, came up with our name. We usually bowl on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from roughly 4-6 p.m. at a Central Florida bowling alley. We typically bowl at Classique Lanes in Tavares on the second Saturday of the month, and at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages on the fourth Saturday. Anyone who wants to watch or try power wheelchair bowling with an IKAN Bowler is more than welcome to join us. Please e-mail me (MaxNWM@aol.com) in advance to verify that we are on for bowling at our usual time and place, and if you want to try it, so we can make sure to have an extra IKAN Bowler available.

Any group of quadriplegic friends can use the Quad Squad name; it's not trademarked or anything, so people in a certain geographic area can feel free to use it, e.g. Phoenix Quad Squad, Chicago Quad Squad, etc.

If you're local to Central Florida, think you might visit, or just want to know what we're doing, I'd be happy to put you on my Quad Squad e-mail list, to which I send updates and verification of when and where we're bowling. I'm not the overall record holder, that honor belongs to Jon Musgrave with an amazing 243, but I'm a pretty good bowler and have had five games over 200 (three 201s and two 202s). So... to help keep my "ego in check" per my Dad:-) he has offered $20 to any IKAN User who beats my best score of the afternoon. To further encourage competition, he also pays for our bowling. So come on out and we'll have some FUN! :-)

Click HERE (or scroll way down) for Two Videos and a Slideshow depicting Quad Squad outings!

Click HERE (or scroll down) for Five Things to Know about Power Wheelchair Bowling!

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Five Things to Know about Power Wheelchair Bowling! :-)

2007-07-22T02:14:00.000-04:00

#1. Virtually ALL power wheelchair users can use an IKAN Bowler for real, dynamic bowling. (Wheelchair users, IKAN? Yes You Can!:)

How can virtually all wheelchair users bowl? The IKAN Bowler attaches to the user's wheelchair, and is designed so that anyone who can safely drive their chair, can bowl. It's basically a really well engineered attached ramp system -- the momentum from driving forward and stopping releases the ball. We have two types of mounts: Universal and Center-Post. The Universal Mount can accommodate any wheelchair with two side legrests (traditional or sport style legrests; not power elevating -- but people with power elevating legrests can use a set of regular legrests when bowling). The Center-Post Mount is a custom mount designed for newer chairs with the legrest system that has the foot pads coming off the single center post. Between those two mounts, we can accommodate the vast majority of wheelchairs on the market and in use today.

What makes it real bowling? The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) sanctioned the IKAN Bowler for league play -- any league, anywhere in the U.S. -- bowling with and/or against able-bodied bowlers, or fellow IKAN Users. The USBC sanctioned it because the process mimics the able-bodied bowling process, i.e. setup, physically approach and release the ball upon stopping at the foul line. This is referred to as dynamic bowling, not stationary ramp bowling.

Who bowls and what are top scores? Thus far we've had people with Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, and Spinal Cord Injury, driving their chairs with different methods (joystick, sip-and-puff, head control and chin control) achieve scores of 150 and higher. The overall record is 243 by a spinal cord injured C4-5 quadriplegic in Colorado named Jon Musgrave. Click HERE for our message board thread with additional records.

#2. The IKAN Bowler is considered therapeutic medical equipment, and as such, financial assistance is available in most every state. One customer ONLY had to pay the SHIPPING cost for an IKAN Bowler! Click HERE to contact us for details!

#3. For $599 the IKAN Bowler with Universal Mount can be purchased and delivered anywhere in the continental United States. There's no sales tax for residents outside the state of Florida and shipping is included to the continental U.S. We can ship worldwide, click HERE to contact us for a shipping quote.

#4. Our mounts work with both the IKAN Bowler and IKAN Soccer Guard, enabling users to compete in two sports! Our quality mounts actually reinforce the legrests, especially compared to most existing mounts for power soccer. We have the best power soccer equipment available anywhere. Power soccer is already a popular sport being played lots of places. Click HERE for details.

#5. You've got to see it to believe it -- click HERE for links to two videos and a slideshow on power wheelchair bowling -- it's social, therapeutic, recreational, allows for legitimate competition, and it's a whole lot of FUN! :-)

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Bowling Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.ikanbowler.com/
Personal website: http://www.lookmomnohands.net/

Two Videos and a Slideshow on Power Wheelchair Bowling! :-)

2007-06-20T01:21:00.000-04:00

Greetings! :-)

At the links below are videos showing two different Quad Squad Bowling outings, one of which is accompanied by a picture slideshow. We currently have about 8 Central Florida Quad Squad members who get together and bowl generally twice a month (contact me for more info if you want to check us out and/or join us!:). We generally have 3-4 wheelchair users bowling, and it just so happens that the same three are in the two videos below.

Video one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4i6DaLYmic
Video two: http://www.wftv.com/video/13470876/index.html
Slideshow: http://www.wftv.com/slideshow/13471076/detail.html

Video one above is very well done; it has tastefully appropriate music throughout, so I'm going to provide some commentary if you're interested:)...

That's me at the beginning having the Universal Mount and IKAN Bowler arm attached to my chair. I've been a C1-2 quadriplegic for almost 10 years, after dislocating two vertebrae in my neck in a freak fall that actually occurred in my off-campus apartment when I was a student at the University of Florida (I'm back in school at UF via their online business program). I'm bowling with the Blue ball and controlling my chair via sip-and-puff.

My friend Jeff is bowling with the Orange & Black ball (which he got because he likes Tony Stewart -- I joke and say that Tony Stewart ball is holding his game back!:). Jeff has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and bowls via joystick. Our friend Melissa, she has Cerebral Palsy, she's bowling on the other side of Jeff and she uses a head array to control her chair. The videographer / editor was trying to get good shots from everyone, and to keep it relatively short. The lanes were pretty dry that day and I think we all struggled bowling a little bit. My ball wasn't breaking nearly as much as normal, with my strike setup.

Where the ball's finger holes are positioned, determines the shape of the shot. With my ball, when all the finger holes are on the left, it curves left, and when they're all on the right, it curves right. If the holes straddle the top, it goes straight. I usually use a straight ball setup when attempting spares.

Video two and the accompanying slideshow were done (very well:) by the Central Florida ABC News affiliate. Both have narration accompanying them, so I won't elaborate here.

If you want to see the record scores for multiple categories of wheelchair users, checkout our message board and feel free to register & post! Here are the links:

Main forum: http://www.ikanbowler.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
Bowling records: http://www.ikanbowler.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3

For more of the basics and details about power wheelchair bowling, see my introduction to this blog, scroll way down or click HERE! :-)

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.IkanBowler.com
Personal website: http://www.LookMomNoHands.net

Smother Movie Uses IKAN Bowler®!

2007-05-25T02:12:00.000-04:00

(If you have no idea what the IKAN Bowler is, please see the intro to this blog, scroll way down or click HERE:)...

Here are three pictures from the movie Smother, which is set to be released in late 2007. Smother stars two from Hollywood's A-list, Diane Keaton and Liv Tyler, and an up-and-coming actor, Dax Shepard (see the link above for more details). As you can see in the pictures below, the IKAN Bowler was used in filming a scene for the movie. Assistant producer Stanley Monahan found the IKAN Bowler, contacted us, and of course we were quite excited that they wanted to use the IKAN Bowler in their movie. What was surprising (in a good way) was that they put the IKAN Bowler on a 3-wheeled scooter! That could potentially open up bowling to another group of people, scooter users, in addition to power wheelchair users. We were told they also had the IKAN Bowler on a wheelchair, but we really have no idea as to what will actually be shown in the movie. The movie's central figure (Shepard) is a physical therapist and apparently there's a scene where he's with someone who is using the IKAN Bowler (it's therapeutic recreation:). But I'm kinda guessing on that, I really don't know how or even if it will make the final editing cut. But these pictures show that they used the IKAN Bowler in filming a scene for the movie... enjoy! :-)

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Game
Co-inventor of the IKAN Bowler®
Business website: http://www.IkanBowler.com
Personal website: http://www.LookMomNoHands.net

Above on the left I think is Dax Shepard, and in the middle is indeed Diane Keaton, a very accomplished actress that most movie watchers have probably seen in multiple films.

Ikan PRICE BREAK -- MUST Read! :-)

2007-04-30T03:18:00.000-04:00

If you read the introduction to this blog (please do if you haven't, scroll down or click HERE:) I promised user profiles and news items about how we're getting power wheelchair users back in the game of life. We're trying to get the word out on our products every way possible. We also have a message board on our ikanbowler.com website. I recently wrote a post called "Price Break -- MUST Read!" which I MUST share here:)...

Hello all! :-)

First off, please know that our products are very well made and cost us quite a bit to manufacture. If I shared the exact details, every experienced businessperson would say our retail prices have been very fair to our customers. However, we truly want as many people as possible to experience the benefits of our products (contact us, we'll try to get your local bowling center to buy an IKAN Bowler or two; also keep in mind that most states have financial assistance available -- one customer only had to pay the shipping cost for an IKAN Bowler -- the state paid the rest, seriously, contact us for details). :-)

To give customers a break below retail, those of you who have followed our progress, you may remember we recently had a program called the "IKAN User Reward and Give Back Program." Essentially, what this did was Reward IKAN Users who were responsible for a sale with 10% commission, and we also were Giving Back 5% to resource organizations (like the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation or the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) or rehab facilities (like Shepherd Center or Craig Hospital) of the purchaser's choice.

Our potential customers liked the Program but since we were essentially giving back 15% of each sale, why not just drop all prices by 15%? Then purchasers can keep or distribute a portion of the savings, if they wish, plus more people will be able to afford their own.

We debated this for several reasons. With the Program, resource organizations and rehab facilities (like those mentioned above) had a direct reason to advertise our products in their newsletters and on their websites, etc., which would help us reach more wheelchair users and it didn't require an up-front advertising fee (just the 5% Give Back). We (MGT) are a small company funded mostly by the three co-founders (who all have physical disabilities) and our friends and families. We don't have much of an advertising budget. The Program basically allotted 5% and 10% to different sources, which served as incentive to advertise and tell people about our products. That WAS the bulk of our advertising budget.

However, with some relatively innovative Internet marketing programs, we noticed we're getting quite a few hits on our website daily. Plus, we will continue to show resource organizations and rehab facilities how their customers can benefit from our products, and hopefully we can get feature stories in each. So, we have decided to give a full 15% to each and every purchaser directly, by dropping all prices by 15%. :-)

But wait... there's more! Sorry to sound like a cheesy infomercial, but we're actually dropping the price of our primary product, the IKAN Bowler with Universal Mount, MORE than 15%. As always, shipping to the continental U.S. is included in all prices (we can ship anywhere in the world, call us for a quote). The IKAN Bowler with Universal Mount was $719.00. Taking exactly 15% off that price (which actually reduces shipping by 15%, even though our shipping costs remain the same) the IKAN Bowler with Universal Mount would be $611.15. We decided we wanted it to be under the psychological barrier of $600. Also, for all residents outside of the state of Florida, there is no sales tax (being a Florida-based company, Florida residents must pay state sales tax). The IKAN Bowler with Universal Mount, shipping included, no tax outside of Florida, is now $599.00 (I know, that's real close to $600 but, come on, we're going more than 15% below a very fair original retail price and we can't provide products if we go out of business!). :-)

Here are the exact price changes of all products:

IKAN Universal Mount
Was $342.00... NOW $290.70 (Includes S/H*)
(Buy a Combo Package and Save!)

IKAN Bowler® (Arm)
Was $409.00... NOW $347.65 (Includes S/H*)
(Buy a Combo Package and Save!)

IKAN Soccer Guard, SG-1004
Was $202.00... NOW $171.70 (Includes S/H*)
(Buy a Combo Package and Save!)

Combination "A" BUM-1005
Includes Universal Mount and IKAN Bowler®.
Was $719.00... NOW $599.00 (Includes S/H*)
(Save $39.35 off the individual component totals!*)

Combination “C” SGUM-1007
Includes Universal Mount and IKAN Soccer Guard.
Was $512.00... NOW $435.20 (Includes S/H*)
(Save $27.20 off the individual component totals!*)

Combination “E” UMBSG-1009
Includes Universal Mount, IKAN Bowler®, and IKAN Soccer Guard.
Was $889.00... NOW $755.65 (Includes S/H*)
(Save $54.40 off the individual component totals!*)

Combination “G” SGUM4X-1011
Includes 4 Universal Mounts and 4 IKAN Soccer Guards.
Was $1,896.00... NOW $1,611.60 (Includes S/H*)
(Save $129.20 over the Combination “C” price!*)

Combination “H” SGUM8X-1012
Includes 8 Universal Mounts and 8 IKAN Soccer Guards.
Was $3,792.00... NOW $3,223.20 (Includes S/H*)
(Save $258.40 over the Combination “C” price!*)

*Shipping & handling included to continental U.S., contact us for quote to ship elsewhere.

If you look at our store, you'll see additional offerings that have the Center-Post Mount instead of the Universal Mount. That is a custom mount for certain new styles of wheelchair that utilize a single center-post style legrest setup, instead of the traditional two side legrests. Because it's custom to each chair, we ask people to call us for a quote.

Finally...

I may have shared more information above (about our business) than perhaps I should have. But these are things I would tell my fellow wheelchair users face-to-face so they know we're truly trying to help as many people as possible. I'm sitting on a $400 seat cushion (so are most wheelchair users). While the cushion is an absolute necessity, I promise you the IKAN Bowler at $599 will provide more meaningful experiences and memories. Get maximum value out of that cushion and get back in the game of life -- bowling and power soccer are sports available to virtually all power wheelchair users. The benefits are fun, social, therapeutic, competitive, and recreational for users -- and inspirational to able-bodied folk who see us performing. :-)

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.IkanBowler.com
Personal website: http://www.LookMomNoHands.net
Blogger: emPOWERing Wheelchair Users

Introduction -- emPOWERing Wheelchair Users! :-)

2007-04-30T01:42:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! :-)

I'll cut to the chase -- this blog will illuminate how power wheelchair users are getting back in the game of life.

I'm one such power wheelchair user.

My name is Bill Miller; I'm a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury incurred August 23rd, 1997. I'm diagnosed as a C1-2 (complete) quadriplegic -- and I have a legitimate 202 high bowling game.

Several years ago, I wanted to get back in the game of life, but there really was no way, no sport or recreational endeavor that I could actively participate in. But I can operate my power wheelchair independently (with my mouth) via what's called a sip-and-puff system (I'm paralyzed from the neck down). My Stepmom saw how well I could drive my wheelchair, and absolutely knew there must be some way that I could bowl, using my chair.

She eventually got me together with a retired engineer named Claude Giguere (pronounced: G-gair). The two of us got together and invented a really cool way for me to bowl, and if someone who is completely paralyzed from the neck down (like me) can bowl -- shouldn't virtually any wheelchair user also be able to bowl?

That idea -- and the genuine desire to improve the quality of life for people whose bodies require them to use power wheelchairs -- is now embodied in a company called Manufacturing Genuine Thrills, Inc. doing business as MGT (for short). That first strike is a genuine thrill. The name for the bowling device comes from a Greek word, ikano, meaning enable. What enables me and can enable virtually all power wheelchair users to bowl is the IKAN Bowler®.

Wheelchair users: IKAN? Yes You Can! :-)

When developing the IKAN Bowler (which really started back in 2003) another sport for power wheelchair users was starting to blossom -- power soccer -- which is already pretty popular. But after doing some research, we learned from power soccer players that the only commercial soccer guard (a 3-sided shield that protects the user's legs and enables him or her to push an extra-large soccer ball) available, that using it occasionally resulted in damage to their wheelchairs (it used a single clamp to attach the guard to one of the user's legrests, and while there aren't supposed to be any collisions playing power soccer, if one did occur, sometimes the legrest would break off from the wheelchair).

In developing the IKAN Bowler, by far the most challenging aspect was developing an easy, quality mounting system that could fit multiple styles of wheelchair. We developed (and have a patent pending on) a Universal Mount that will work on every wheelchair with two side legrests (not power-elevating legrests, users with those can get a set of standard legrests to use for bowling/soccer; we also have a mount that accommodates chairs with the new center-post style legrests). So we developed the IKAN Soccer Guard to work with our Universal Mount (it also works with the center-post mount). The quality two-clamp system is able to withstand any reasonable collision. We repeatedly rammed a brick wall with the IKAN Soccer Guard and Universal Mount attached to a manual wheelchair (used for testing purposes) and we couldn't break the guard or the legrests. True story. (The center-post style is even more crash resistant.)

The beauty of our mounts is that with the IKAN Bowler attachment and the IKAN Soccer Guard attachment, people can do two sports (not at the same time, of course:). We're quite proud to be able to offer the ability to play two sports to people with significant physical disabilities that require the use of power wheelchairs -- including people with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida, Spinal Cord Injuries, Quadriplegia, Multiple Sclerosis and more.

Medical experts and IKAN Users have said using our products is fun, social, therapeutic, competitive, and recreational.

The world record holder for bowling by a quadriplegic is Jon Musgrave, a C4-5 quad due to a spinal cord injury in 1991. Jon bowls anywhere from 3-5 days a week, and bowled an amazing 243. He said: "Who could have thought that one thing could change a person's life so much. I have something that I'm good at to look forward to enjoying every day; something I can share with my family and fiends. I can tell you this for sure, my life has not been the same since I got my IKAN Bowler®."

That's how we're getting power wheelchair users back in the game of life.

With this blog, I plan to tell you more about Jon, and others like Jon. I want to profile people who think life is better with the IKAN Bowler. I'll bring some IKAN Soccer Guard news here also, but our primary product is the IKAN Bowler. There is no other assistive bowling device that enables users to mimic the able-bodied bowling process, i.e. setup, begin the approach and release the ball upon reaching the foul line.

The IKAN Bowler attaches to the user's wheelchair. A caddy places the ball atop the IKAN Bowler, as the user instructs (how the finger holes are positioned determines the shape of the shot). The user's knowledge of the ball, plus where the user sets up, then drives forward, turning the chair slightly left and right (aiming the shot) as necessary when approaching the foul line, and finally braking the wheelchair which sends the ball down the IKAN Bowler -- that is what determines how well we bowl.

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) declared that process and the IKAN Bowler acceptable for league play -- any league anywhere in the U.S. -- sanctioning it for competition with and against able-bodied bowlers or IKAN Users.

Ok, that sets the foundation for this blog. I'll be back soon with the first profile and story about an IKAN User. I am also in school via the University of Florida's online business program (bachelor's degree) which takes up quite a bit of time, but I'll have at least one blog entry each month.

Our IKAN products are available right now for shipping anywhere in the world (shipping to the continental United States is included in the price, but we can ship anywhere).

Anyone who may be interested, ABSOLUTELY MUST READ my next post about a PRICE BREAK on our products (click HERE!:).

Thank you very much for your interest! :-)

Sincerely,

Bill Miller :-)
C1-2 Quadriplegic with a 202 High Game
Co-founder of Manufacturing Genuine Thrills Inc. d/b/a MGT
Business website: http://www.IkanBowler.com
Personal website: http://www.LookMomNoHands.net
Blogger: emPOWERing Wheelchair Users!