Quad Squad Bowling

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

Results of My Surgeries: Healthy but No DPS

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!

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

From Vent to Diaphragmatic Pacing System -- Part IV

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

From Vent to Diaphragmatic Pacing System -- Part III

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

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

#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/