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TAA 039: Meet Kyle Stepp, para triathlete, community organizer, and activistWe kick off 2023 with an interview with Kyle Stepp. Kyle is a para-athlete, a community organizer, and disability rights activist. In today's show, he talks about dedicating your life to using your pain for a bigger purpose and turning a privilege into a responsibility to give back. Learn more about Kyle and his initiatives, please visit him on Instagram. ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

TAA 038: Meet Joe Mahon, the founder of Click MedicalToday I have Joe Mahon on the show. Joe is an experienced prosthetist, the co-founder of Click Medical, and the inventor of Click Medical’s RevoFit® dial that allows prosthetic users to adjust their sockets on the go. Learn more about Joe, Click Medical, and devices to adjust a socket, please visit the Click Medical homepage. You can also take this quiz to find out if RevoFit® is right for you. ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza

TAA 037: Phantom pain after limb lossPhantom pain is unfortunately something that many amputees know well and experience more or less regularly. And that's why I want to deal a little bit more with this phenomenon today. In this article, you will find a first overview of theories about the development of phantom limb pain on the one hand and various treatment approaches on the other hand. If you want to delve deeper into the matter, you can find some links to further articles in the text below.References and Further Reading Thieme connect, Th. Weiss,W. H. R. Miltner – Phantomschmerz: https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ebooks/lookinside/10.1055/b-0034-86301 (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Cleveland Clinic – Phantom Limb Pain: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12092-phantom-limb-pain (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Healtline, Kirsten Nunez – What Causes Phantom Pain, and How Is it Treated: https://www.healthline.com/health/phantom-pain (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Mayo Clinic – Phantom pain: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/phantom-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20376272 (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Gesundheit.gv.at – Phantomschmerz: https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/krankheiten/gehirn-nerven/schmerz/phantomschmerz.html (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Österreichische Ärztezeitung – Phantomschmerz: Schmerz-Abgrenzung im Vorfeld: https://aerztezeitung.at/2019/oaz-artikel/medizin/phantomschmerz-schmerzabgrenzung-stumpfschmerz/ (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Inselspital Bern – Phantom- und Stumpfschmerzen: https://neurochirurgie.insel.ch/funktionell-schmerz/schmerz/phantom-und-stumpfschmerzen (last accessed on 31.07.2022) Deutsche Schmerzgesellschaft e.V. – Spiegeltherapie: https://www.schmerzgesellschaft.de/patienteninformationen/ergaenzende-verfahren/spiegeltherapie (last accessed on 31.07.2022) NDR – Cannabis: Wirksames Medikament bei chronischen Schmerzen?: https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/Cannabis-Wirksames-Medikament-bei-chronischen-Schmerzen,cannabis212.html (last accessed on 31.07.2022)  ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on

TAA 036: Meet Jodie St. Clair from Learners and MakersToday I chat with Jodie from Learners and Makers. Jodie and her family are juszt about to start their next big adventure: A journey that will take them all around the globe. And as always, Jodie and her family combine thier passion for travel with homeschool, and more into their everyday adventures of lifelong learning and joyful making. Learn more about Learners and Makers......on the Learners and Makers blog....on Instagram.on Youtube. ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 035: What's in my amputee emergency repair kit?I love traveling. Full stop. And while the last two years weren't much in terms of spending time away from the safety and comfort of my home, I used to travel a lot. Often in far flung places, off the beaten track, and far away from any prosthetist. As I never take crutches on oversee trips (and hardly on any of the trips around Europe) my prosthesis is the key to my mobility. If it fails, I am stuffed. So I like to be prepared for a range of situations in which I might have to fix my prosthetic leg or foot or socket myself. At the same time I like to travel light; i.e. everything needs to fit into my backpack. ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 034: Hiking up East Timor's highest mountain to raise funds for people with disabilitiesCombining my passion for the outdoors with a good cause. My work often brings me to countries in the tropics. Sometimes just for a few weeks. Sometimes for years. And while a high-tech knee is a great plus when it comes to being active and mobile, they soon hit their limits when water, sand, mud and rice paddies are involved. A simple backup option is needed. And often this can be done locally. As it was in my case, in Timor Leste back in 2009. Here is my story of how building a new prosthesis led to an amazing fundraising hike, that brought in enough money to support three local charities that support people with disabilities in Timor Leste.   ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 033: Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month Special - Did you know that...April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month. In its eleventh year, this month is a fixed feature in our calendars. A month to celebrate the limb loss and limb difference community, tell the world more about us, further work towards real inclusion and increased participation, and be proud of how far we have come. As Amplitude Magazin put it nicely last year:  "When the Amputee Coalition organized the first Limb Loss Awareness Month in April 2011, Oscar Pistorius hadn’t yet made the running blade an instantly recognizable piece of athletic gear. No amputee veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars had been elected to Congress. Social media, still in its infancy, hadn’t yet given amputees a platform to tell their own stories." Here are 30 little audio snippets with insights into my life as an amputee.   ------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 032: Meet Nate Denofre, a double amputee who canoed the length of the MississippiNate is a double amputee from Michigan. In 2020, just when the Covid19 pandemic put an end to many adventures all around the globe he canoed the length of the Mississippi River, source to sea. "You cannot prepare for such a trip. o you learn while you are already on the water!" Listen to his story, learn more about his support work for veterans and other amputees, and see why Nate thinks the only disability is fear.To learn more about StormPort, the charity mentioned in the interview, please check Facebook.To learn more about Nate, check out his Instagram profile.------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 031: Meet Lasse Madsen from the sports tech startup LevitateToday I talk with Lasse W. Madsen,  the CEO and Co-founder of the sports tech startup Levitate. Lasse is an amputated runner himself and his mission is to give people with disabilities simple access to affordable sports equipment they need to live an active life. His company Levitate produces running blades that amputees can install themselves.To learn more about Levitate, check out the homepage and follow Lasse on Instagram.------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 030: Lifehacks for a good fit of your socketMost amputees know that the key to an active lifestyle is a well-fitting socket. Most amputees also know that the process to get a well-fitting socket can be long, tedious, and often frustrating. And to make things even more complicated, even if you manage to bring this process to a successful end - read: If you have a socket that feels good, is comfortable to wear all day long while being snug enough to be active and use the leg in all kinds of situations - your residual limb can change and - as a result - your overall situation changes. Either over the course of a day, from one week to the next, or over a longer period of time. This can be a change along a trajectory, a trend in a given direction. Or it can be oscillating. So changes without a clear direction to where the journey is leading to. And while more significant changes need to be addressed together with your prosthetist, there are some options you have to fix things yourself. This can be handy if you feel the need for adjustments over the course of the day, for example, while on a walk or when away on holidays with no access to a prosthetist.   So here are a few lifehacks you might want to try. But before you do so, let me state one thing clearly. The following approaches to deal with an ill-fitting socket have been tried by me. They worked for me. And they might work for you. But if you try them, you do so at your own risk.------------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 029: Meet Enock Glidden: Developing  a can-do attitude and achieving your goalsToday I am talking with the always amazing Enock Glidden. Born with Spina Bifida, Enock is no one to shy away from a challenge. This lead him to climb big wall mountains volunteer as an ambassador for Paradox Sports, and make outdoor activities more accessible through his collaboration with Maine Trail Finder.Watch bis video on YouTube.Visit the Maine Trail Finder.Visit Paradox Sports.Learn more about Enock on his homepage. --------For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 027: Hiking in the Himalayas After a week in Kathmandu, mostly in meetings and with little to no exercise, I decided to use my day off to walk up to Shivapuri Peak, a few kilometers north of Nepal’s capital. With 2,725 meters the peak offers amazing views over the Kathmandu valley and - if you are lucky and you have a clear day - over the Langtang mountains, a range of 6,000 and 7,000 meters peaks towards the Tibetan border. but even if the Langtang range is covered in clouds, the walk through the Shivapuri national park is always a nice change to the hullaballoo of Kathmandu. And a treat for your lungs as Nepal’s capital is known for its bad air quality. As my prosthesis had been playing up in recent months, I took plenty of repair kit with me. The obligatory Allen key, ducked tape, additional seal tape normally used around windows, udder cream, blister patches, and the like. I wanted to make sure I can get myself safely off the mountain if the need arises. But as it turned out, it wasn’t the prosthesis that needed attention, but my other knee. And that was something I was not prepared for. This knee has been with me through the good times and the bad times. It sometimes complained and screamed abuse, when we returned from a long day out in the hills. But so far it had never given up, no matter what I threw at it. So when severe pain set in only minutes after starting my descent, I knew I was in trouble and needed to come up with a creative solution that gets me back to the valley safely and before nightfall. And I did. Here is the full story For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 026: Four seasons - four regions - four hikes as an amputee Here is an update on a project of mine that has been in the making for long. Far too long actually, if you ask me. I am talking about this year's walking project. A project I have been playing around with for some time. A project I have been changing over and over again until it finally felt right. A project that might take up to two years to complete.As many of you know, I love walking. Just love it. Full stop. For me walking is the perfect mode of getting from one place to another. I enjoy the slow pace that allows me to fully immerse myself in whatever region I find myself in. Being out on foot provides plenty of opportunities to observe all the wonders nature has to offer; the big and obvious ones that stand out and catch your attention as well as the small and easy-to-miss ones along the untrodden path. I love the fact that I have everything a need with me, stacked away in my backpack, without depending on anyone else. And I adore the freedom it gives me to move independently and set up camp where it feels right. So it comes as no surprise that I have been dreaming about longer hikes for some time. Something special. Something I haven’t done before. And something that would take me to new places. After countless hours of playing around with a wide range of more or less convincing ideas, after burying myself in guidebooks, after chatting with friends and other outdoor enthusiasts, and after putting wild ideas through a bit of a reality check I finally found my new project. One that looked like it's offering the right balance between a good challenge on the one hand while being possible and enjoyable on the other hand. In short: One that felt right.For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 025: Review of the 3R80 from OttoBockLooking through my analytics from the blog I noticed that a review I did of OttoBock's 3R80 some time back still attracts loads of interest from the audience. So I thought I re-publish this article as a podcast, make it easier to find, and thus bring it back to people's attention. For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 024: Meet Josephine Bridges, the chair and trustee of Positive BonesJosephine just completed the three peaks challenge - that is summitting the three highest peaks in England, Wales, and Scotland - to raise money for her charity Positive Bones. She tells us about this adventure, the motivation that drove her to set up her own charity, and other issues of the wider limb difference community. To learn more about the organization, check out the Positive Bones homepage. For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 023: Meet Hope Gordon, who crowdfunded the costs of her amputationHope was suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrom for years when she decided to have her leg amputated. As an amputation was against the guidelines of the National Health System, she needed to cover the costs by herself. That's when she decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign. Five years later, Hope is a happy young woman living a life free from pain. She is a member of the British National Canoe Team and has her eyes on this years' world championship. For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 022: The START Foundation - Empowering amputees in life through sportsThe START Foundation empowers amputees in life through sports, by providing grants to purchase sports prostheses or adaptive equipment to help people with a limb difference achieve their sporting dreams and live a rewarding, active, and fulfilled life.Learn more about the START Foundation, support their work, or apply for grants under https://www.startfoundation.org.au For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 021: Recycle for mobility  - ROMP's components for a cause initiative  There is great inequality in the worldwide distribution of prosthetic components: The supply is worst in populations with the highest need. It’s tragic that so many components are oversupplied in higher-income countries while countless people in lower- and middle-income countries remain immobilized by the lack of components. The solution to improving supply doesn’t lie in catchy ‘appropriate technology for the poor’. Instead it lies in improved access to components that already exist. To achieve this we must all be part of the solution: We must all choose to recycle for mobility.  For more information, visit The Active Amputee.For more information about ROMP and the Component for a Cause initiative, visit ROMP Global. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest

TAA 020: Why it's cool to have an amputee dadYes, there are times when I think that it just sucks being an above-knee amputee. Obviously. And often this feeling creeps up on me when I am around my kids. When I want to do things with them and have the feeling that my amputation sets unwanted limitations. When the fact that I have an artificial leg seems to dictate what I can and cannot do with them. And when the socket once again - as so often in the last 10 years - just doesn’t fit and is putting up additional challenges.But while some of this has been annoying for me, it‘s not really an issue for the kids. It never has been. And now, as I am looking back at the last few years and how they have been growing up, I actually think it‘s been good for them to have an amputee dad. Honestly, I think it‘s an advantage. Collateral good, so to speak. Why? Well...For more information, visit The Active Amputee. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active Amputee on Instagram The Active Amputee on YouTube The Active Amputee on Twitter The Active Amputee on LinkedIn The Active Amputee on Pinterest