Cochlear Implant Changes Big Island Veterans Life
VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) has been working hard to expand audiology care for Veterans in the Pacific Islands.
On Oct. 23, 2024, VAPIHCS performed the first cochlear implant activation on the Big Island. For Retired Marine Corps Veteran Ronald Garten, it has already begun to make a difference in his life.
“The experience has been far beyond my expectations,” Garten said. “I can hear people talking to me -even in a crowd when there are overlapping voices, and it would have been impossible to distinguish between them before.”
Garten has been going to VA for audiology services for many years, but in February he was identified as a candidate for a cochlear implant. VAPIHCS informed him that he was eligible in May, and he had the surgery at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) on Sept. 25, 2024. After a month of recovery time, his Audiologist Dr. Paige Tatge, and her mentoring Audiologist Dr. Shannon Ng from the San Francisco VA performed the activation.
“The VA made the process so easy that I was overwhelmed,” Garten said. “I can’t say enough good things. Everyone at the hospital was kind and professional, the processes were easy and VA handled it all, and my doctor Dr. Tatge has been phenomenal. You can tell that her heart is in her work and that she really cares about Veterans.”
Hearing loss can be extremely isolating. Imagine seeing faces on a TV and having no idea what they were saying. Imagine being with friends and family, but not hearing what they were trying to tell you. Imagine knocks at your door that go unanswered, and phones ringing unnoticed. This is the reality of hearing loss, and -because it is so isolating and difficult- many Veterans experience increasing levels of depression as their hearing worsens.
Although Garten lives a solitary life as a widower maintaining his 7-acre property on the Big Island, he still needs to communicate with people. He hires workers to help him maintain his land, goes into town to buy things, and does video calls with his son who lives in Virginia and his sister in California. Being able to hear is essential even for Veterans who don’t spend a lot of time at gatherings or group events.
Garten is under the care of Dr. Paige Tatge, an Audiologist at the Hilo Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) with the mentorship of Dr. Ng at the San Francisco VA. Dr. Tatge worked for the Phoenix VA for seven years but came to VAPIHCS more than a year ago. She was excited to expand this specialty service to the Hilo CBOC and is grateful for the support from her staff and mentor, Dr. Ng. She realizes the positive impact this expansion will have on Veterans such as Garten for many years to come.
“The cochlear implant process requires a lot of dedication, and the Veteran is recommended to complete daily auditory rehabilitation,” Dr. Tatge said. “These hearing exercises help Garten to re-learn how to hear in this whole new way, and it can take time for the brain to be accustomed to new sounds. Many initial reactions to the sounds heard through the implant are reported as ‘robotic’ or voices sound like ‘Mikey Mouse.’ Over time, with auditory training and dedicated usage the sounds become more natural. Although Veterans need time to adjust when they receive an implant, it’s a procedure that can make a significant improvement in their quality of life.”
For More Information:
If you are a Veteran with hearing loss who is not already getting care from VAPIHCS, call 1-800-214-1306 to enroll with us. Once you are enrolled, you may self-refer to audiology. To access audiology services, you must go in person to an audiology booth because hearing loss must be assessed in a controlled environment.