We're Not Stumped - Centering on life stories of the Limb Loss / Amputee and Disabled Communities
We’re not stumped.
Not by limb loss. Not by fear. Not by anything life throws our way.
We’re Not Stumped is more than just a podcast—it's a platform dedicated to celebrating resilience, inclusion, and the indomitable human spirit. Hosted by Mike Bolland, a one-handed cancer survivor and the first person with limb loss to compete on the PBA tour, the podcast delves into the real-life stories of individuals who have turned adversity into strength.
Launched in 2022 after Mike retired from a successful career at Discount Tire, the podcast was born out of his desire to give back to the amputee community. Alongside starting the Joe & Marie Bolland’s Helping Hands nonprofit—which aims to help amputees obtain the prosthetics they need to live a full life—Mike created We’re Not Stumped to share the journeys of those who, like him, have faced challenges head-on.
Each episode features candid conversations with amputees, family members, medical professionals, and advocates, shedding light on topics like adaptive living, inclusive employment practices, and the latest in prosthetic technology. With authenticity, compassion, and a touch of humor, Mike ensures that no question is off-limits, fostering an environment where guests can share their experiences openly.
Beyond the podcast, Mike has embraced stand-up comedy, performing across Arizona and the Southwest, using humor as a tool to connect and inspire. His multifaceted approach to advocacy underscores a central message: challenges don't define us—our responses do.
Join us as we amplify voices, break down stigmas, and build a community where no one feels like they're going it alone. Because here’s the truth:
We're Not Stumped - Centering on life stories of the Limb Loss / Amputee and Disabled Communities
Amputee Headlines for June 24, 2024 - We're not Stumped
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Listen as host Mike Bolland picks three limb loss/amputee headlines for the week and discusses them in these 'Headlines" episodes.
Headline #1: Michael Palin says he still talks to his late wife: ‘It’s a bit like losing a limb’
Sir Michael Palin has opened up about life without his late wife, Helen Gibbins, saying he still talks aloud to her.
The 81-year-old Monty Python star and travel documentarian announced in May 2023 that his wife of 57 years had died of kidney failure. She also suffered with chronic pain for several years.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday (24 June), Palin said: “It’s like you’re a unit, and suddenly you are not a unit any longer, and it’s a bit like losing a bit of a limb, you’re not quite sure where you are.”
“She was great and we have good memories. So much of your own life is invested in that one person so there is a huge slice of my life which I now can’t really access in the same way. The couple had three children and four grandchildren, and celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary just two-and-a-half weeks before her death.
Headline #2, courtesy of: Blue Arbor goes beneath the surface for better control of limb prosthetics
Blue Arbor Technologies is developing implantable sensors to give patients better control of cutting-edge prosthetic arms and hands — with potential exoskeleton applications in the future.
In April 2024, the FDA gave breakthrough device designation to Blue Arbor’s RESTORE Neuromuscular Interface System and enrolled it in the agency’s Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program (TAP) pilot to get the technology to patients faster. (RESTORE is an acronym of “Reimagining Engineering Solutions To Optimize Restoration of Extremities.”)
Research efforts started in 2007 and have since totaled $45 million, said Blue Arbor co-founder and President Dr. Paul Cederna.
Headline #3: Prototype Smart Socket Shows Promise for Amputees’ Comfort. This is from our friends at Amplitude Magazine
A few years ago, Amplitude surveyed the latest breakthroughs in “smart sockets,” or sockets that auto-adjust in real time to fluctuations in the size and shape of the residual limb (“Smart Sockets Are on the Horizon,” November/December 2021). Such devices could reduce or eliminate the near-universal aggravations that come with socket misfits, including blisters, sores, rashes, and circulatory problems.
One of the research initiatives cited in that article, the University of Washington’s motor-driven smart socket, has reached the early testing phase—and the results are encouraging. In a new paper published last month in Nature Scientific Reports, the UW team shared the outcomes of an early trial involving an auto-adjusting socket. The prototype device offered two innovative modes of real-time socket adjustment—manual adjustment via a smartphone application, and autom
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