We're Not Stumped | Survival Stories, Disability Stories & Recovery Journeys Podcast

In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike sits down with Lindsay to share her courageous decision to choose amputation at age 22 — and the emotional and physical challenges that followed.

Lindsay opens up about navigating identity after limb loss, the support of her parents, and the mindset that helped her move forward. She shares how setting a goal to walk unassisted by Christmas gave her focus during recovery and how resilience continues to shape her life today.

 🧡 If Lindsay’s story resonates with you…
One way to support others navigating limb loss is by sharing your prosthetic care experience at EnableReview.com. We’re building a review platform powered by lived experience — because no one should have to choose a provider blindly. 

The conversation also explores her prosthetic journey, serious medical complications including liver failure and infection, and the determination that helped her regain mobility after two years on crutches.

Now a support group leader and founder of Liberty Health, a nonprofit helping people afford prosthetics and orthotics, Lindsay is turning her experience into impact.

This episode is about courage, community, and choosing purpose — even in life’s hardest moments.

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

On this episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Dr. Glenn Gaston, an orthopedic hand and upper-extremity surgeon who’s helping redefine what’s possible in amputee care.

Dr. Gaston shares how a single patient encounter sparked his mission to improve outcomes for people with limb loss — leading to innovations like the Starfish Procedure, which restores individual finger control for partial hand amputees, and a newly FDA-cleared virtual reality therapy that significantly reduces phantom limb pain without opioids.

Together, they explore:

• How VR retrains the brain to ease phantom limb pain
 • Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) and advanced prosthetic control
 • Osseointegration and emerging sensory prosthetics
 • Arms for All and expanding access to upper-limb prosthetic care
 • Why collaborative amputee clinics are changing lives
 • The upcoming Brecon International Conference in Charlotte

Dr. Gaston also opens up about his journey into amputee care, the future of upper-limb reconstruction, and why innovation matters just as much as compassion.

If you or someone you love is navigating limb loss, prosthetics, or chronic pain, this conversation offers powerful insight — and real hope.

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

Lera Doederlein joins Mike Bolland on We’re Not Stumped to share a powerful story of choosing possibility.

Born with AMC (arthrogryposis multiplex congenita), Lera grew up in Phoenix using braces and forearm crutches while navigating school, friendships, and the quiet realization that sports might look different for her. As a teenager, she made the bold decision to pursue double above-knee amputations in order to gain independence and improve long-term mobility—and it transformed her life.

Lera walks us through the realities of recovery and physical therapy, learning to use prosthetics, and the moment a clinician pushed her beyond her comfort zone—encouraging her to run just a week after she started walking. She also shares why community matters so much, from Camp No Limits to Hanger events and amputee boot camps that helped her build confidence and momentum.

Then the conversation shifts to sports: how a chance introduction at a clinic led her to fall in love with sled hockey, earning a grant for her first custom sled, joining the U.S. Women’s National Sled Team in 2019, and ultimately competing in the 2022 Beijing Paralympics in Nordic skiing.

If you’re early in your limb-difference or limb-loss journey—or you just need a reminder to try the thing that scares you—this episode will leave you inspired.

Learn more about Camp No Limits: https://www.nolimitsfoundation.org/

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

In this inspiring episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike talks with John Cooper, a physical therapist assistant with 18 years of experience, about his journey into physical therapy and his passion for working with lower-limb amputees.

John shares how his grandfather’s recovery from brain surgery sparked his career, and how close collaboration with prosthetists helps him address the real-world challenges amputees face every day. He explains why patience matters in rehab, why quality beats quantity in therapy sessions, and how setbacks can become powerful turning points.

The conversation also explores:

• The importance of honest patient–therapist communication
 • What John learned traveling with a former below-the-knee amputee patient
 • Accessibility gaps and the need for stronger support systems
 • His advocacy work, including planning an Amputee Awareness Night at a baseball game
 • A touching success story helping an elderly patient regain mobility
 • His future goals in wound care and rehabilitation

This episode offers a meaningful look at amputee care from the therapy side — highlighting teamwork, empathy, and the power of human connection in recovery.

Whether you’re an amputee, caregiver, healthcare professional, or ally, John’s story delivers insight, encouragement, and practical perspective.

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

In this special episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland shares the story behind Enable Review — a new community-powered platform created to help people with limb loss, limb difference, and caregivers find prosthetic, orthotic, and rehabilitation care they can trust.

After a lifetime navigating prosthetics and hearing powerful stories from guests and listeners, Mike explains why real patient experiences matter — and how Enable Review puts those voices front and center.

Enable Review isn’t about ads or marketing. It’s about lived experience.

We’re opening the platform with our Founding 100 — the first 100 reviewers who help build this community from the ground up.

If you’ve worked with a prosthetist, orthotist, physical therapist, or rehab clinic, we invite you to share your experience at:

👉 https://enablereview.com/

Your story could help someone else make a better care decision.

Send Mike a Message!

Support the show

Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Risa August — cancer survivor, author of The Road Unpaved, TEDx speaker, and patient advocate — for a deeply honest and uplifting conversation.

Risa shares how her diagnosis and cancer treatments reshaped her identity, challenged her physically and emotionally, and ultimately inspired her to create a life of meaning and service. From enduring radiation and its long-term effects to cycling nearly 1,900 miles from Canada to Mexico, Risa’s journey is one of courage, mindset, and transformation.

Together, Mike and Risa explore:

• How to rebuild confidence and purpose after life-changing health challenges
 • The power of small victories and shifting your mindset toward possibility
 • Risa’s work as a Gestalt coach and advocate for stronger doctor-patient relationships
• The impact of her book and TEDx talk, “How a Single Word Can Rebuild Your Life”
  • Risa’s upcoming feature film adaptation of her memoir, set for production in 2027

This episode is about more than surviving cancer — it’s about thriving, empowering others, and discovering what you’re capable of when you refuse to give up.

Subscribe for more stories that uplift the disability and limb-loss community and celebrate the human spirit.

Send Mike a Message!

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

In this powerful and reflective episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Terry Tucker, author of Four Truths and a Lie, for a deep conversation about mindset, mental toughness, and what it truly means to live a significant life.

Terry shares the philosophy behind his latest book, which challenges common definitions of success rooted in money, status, and material achievement. Instead, he invites listeners to rethink success through the lens of service, responsibility, and impact on others. At the heart of his message is one foundational truth: if you don’t control your mind, it will control you.

Building on lessons from his earlier work, Sustainable Excellence, Terry explains how the four truths in the book—shaped by real-life adversity including cancer and amputation—serve as a framework for resilience. He emphasizes the importance of deliberately stepping outside your comfort zone, embracing discomfort, and taking daily actions that strengthen mental toughness.

Mike and Terry also explore the difference between success and significance, the dangers of tying self-worth to achievement, and why true fulfillment comes from giving rather than acquiring. Through stories, philosophy, and lived experience, Terry offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating hardship or searching for deeper purpose.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The core philosophy behind Four Truths and a Lie
• Mental toughness and controlling your mindset
• Success versus significance
• Finding purpose through service to others
• Building resilience through daily discomfort
• Lessons learned through adversity and personal challenge

This episode is a must-listen for anyone questioning traditional ideas of success or looking to build a more meaningful, purpose-driven life.

Terry's new book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Truths-Lie-Ancient-Purpose/dp/B0FPGTK7TG

🎙️ Subscribe to We’re Not Stumped for inspiring conversations about resilience, disability, and turning life’s toughest challenges into growth and impact.

Send Mike a Message!

Support the show

Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

In this eye-opening episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland speaks with Dr. Kevin Lie, a vascular and interventional radiologist at Georgia Endovascular, about why so many amputations don’t have to happen.

Dr. Lie explains how misdiagnosed or untreated peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one of the leading causes of limb loss—especially among veterans, older adults, and people living with diabetes. He shares how minimally invasive endovascular procedures can restore blood flow, reduce pain, and help patients avoid amputation when disease is caught early.

The conversation covers:

• Why PAD is often overlooked or misunderstood
• The warning signs patients and doctors should never ignore
• How outpatient vascular procedures work
• Why early referral to specialists matters
• The power of patient advocacy and second opinions

Mike and Dr. Lee also discuss the future of prosthetics, limb-saving technology, and how patients can take a more active role in their own care.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone living with limb loss, at risk for amputation, or supporting someone with vascular disease.

Send Mike a Message!

Support the show

Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

Tom Lenoble’s story is one of remarkable leadership, resilience, and reinvention. In this episode, Tom shares his extraordinary career journey leading customer operations at companies like MCI, Walmart.com, and Palm — and how he helped build Facebook’s first global customer operations team during its explosive early years. He reflects on interviewing with Mark Zuckerberg when Facebook was still a college platform, navigating rapid growth, and leading through constant change.

But Tom’s greatest leadership lessons didn’t come from the boardroom — they came from surviving life-threatening illness. Tom opens up about living with HIV since 1989, battling metastatic cancer for 13 years, and the mindset and healing strategies that helped him keep moving forward. He also discusses his bestselling memoir, My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels (https://www.amazon.com/Business-Suits-Hospital-Gowns-Heels-ebook/dp/B0FV5WZQN1), and how sharing his story has been both liberating and transformative.

Today, Tom is a leadership coach, speaker, and CEO of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, inspiring others to find strength, clarity, and purpose — even in life’s hardest moments.

A powerful conversation about courage, vulnerability, leadership, and the unexpected gifts hidden inside adversity.

Send Mike a Message!

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Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/

In this compelling episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland sits down with Scott Martin, bilateral hand amputee, soccer coach, and author of Play From Your Heart. Scott shares his life-changing experience after a devastating infection in 1993 led to the loss of both hands and parts of his feet, and the emotional journey that followed—including denial, depression, and rebuilding his sense of purpose.

Scott discusses continuing to coach soccer, adapting with determination and creativity, and eventually leading young players to success. He opens up about his prosthetic journey, including working with Johns Hopkins on advanced prosthetic technology, and the realities of balancing innovation with practicality.

Scott reflects on resilience, failure, healing, the encouragement of his mother, and how finding purpose through coaching and writing helped him move forward. His upcoming book, Play From Your Heart, highlights hope, grit, and the power of community—resonating with the disability world, the soccer world, and anyone searching for inspiration.

Subscribe, share, and help amplify disability voices and stories of strength.

Send Mike a Message!

Support the show

Want to be considered as a guest?  Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/podcast-guest-information/

Learn more about our host Mike Bolland: https://mikebolland.com/