IKAN User Profile: Ross Grimball, Louisiana

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

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

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

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)

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

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!

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