{"id":5738,"date":"2026-09-09T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/how-va-helped-this-veteran-reclaim-his-hearing-and-his-life\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:30:00","slug":"how-va-helped-this-veteran-reclaim-his-hearing-and-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=5738","title":{"rendered":"How VA helped this Veteran reclaim his hearing and his life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A chance encounter and a cochlear implant gave Edward Romero his sense of hearing back<\/h2>\n

Hearing loss stole Ed Romero\u00e2\u0080\u0099s career, his conversations and his connection to his family.<\/p>\n

Romero served as a communications specialist in the Navy during Vietnam from 1963 to 1965. When he returned to civilian life, he founded a public relations firm. Then, slowly, his hearing began to fade. It worsened for years until one day, he couldn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t hear his grandchildren, his children or his friends. He was ultimately forced to leave his firm.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cThen came the dark days of near-complete loss of hearing,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Romero shared. \u00e2\u0080\u009cNo TV, no music, no restaurants, [no] business meetings. In effect, a critical loss of any method of communication.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

He tried hearing aids, and they didn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t help. He said he reached a point where he just had to accept he wasn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t going to hear again.<\/p>\n

A stranger at a wedding<\/h2>\n

In 2013, at his son\u00e2\u0080\u0099s wedding, he couldn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t follow a conversation, and then, as the father of the groom, he was called to speak to the group.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cI had to announce to all that I was unable to converse as a result of hearing loss,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Romero said.<\/p>\n

That\u00e2\u0080\u0099s when one of the wedding\u00e2\u0080\u0099s attendees approached him. She introduced herself as a VA audiologist and asked if he was a Veteran. She checked his hearing on the spot and recommended he visit his local VA medical center to ask about services available to him.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cFate and happenstance led me to VA,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Romero said.<\/p>\n

Finding help at VA<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>
VA Audiologist Dr. Kerri Richter monitors Veteran Edward Romero\u00e2\u0080\u0099s hearing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Dr. Kerri Richter, a clinical specialist and cochlear implant audiologist <\/a>at VA Eastern Colorado, says their evaluation process centers on the Veteran.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cOur goal is to improve a Veteran\u00e2\u0080\u0099s quality of life,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Richter said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cWe evaluate how each individual is doing with consistent hearing aid use. The Veteran completes patient-reported outcome measures, and together we discuss results, their struggles and individualized goals.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Romero\u00e2\u0080\u0099s cochlear implant surgery was performed by Dr. Stephen Cass, who works closely with VA Eastern Colorado on cochlear implant procedures. Before surgery, Romero had just one question for his doctors.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cWill I be able to hear?\u00e2\u0080\u009d Romero asked. \u00e2\u0080\u009cThe doctor answered, \u00e2\u0080\u0098Yes.\u00e2\u0080\u0099 Can you imagine how that moment felt?\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

After his surgery, Romero returned to VA for activation of his cochlear implant. His audiologist sat across from him, asked if he was ready and pressed a key on her computer.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cIn that moment, I could hear clearly,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Romero said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cMy life was reborn, fully capable of functioning in everyday life.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Letting others know<\/h2>\n

Romero says he asks himself how he didn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t know sooner that VA could help. Now he\u00e2\u0080\u0099s joined a Veteran advocacy group to spread the word about VA services.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cI, for one, will forever be grateful,\u00e2\u0080\u009d he said.<\/p>\n

Richter says Veterans with hearing loss don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t have to accept their situation.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cThere are options if hearing aids are not beneficial, and we will work with them to determine what is most appropriate,\u00e2\u0080\u009d she said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cThe team is here to help improve their quality of life and keep them connected to family and friends.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

If you\u00e2\u0080\u0099re a Veteran with hearing loss, talk to your VA care team about a hearing evaluation. You can also learn more about VA\u00e2\u0080\u0099s audiology services<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Topics in this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Audiology<\/a>Hearing loss<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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