Posted on 06/05/2020 12:09:18 PM PDT by Kaslin
RUSH: This is also a big day. Ten years ago today, Kathryn and I walked down Well, Kathryn walked down the aisle. I stood there and waited. I stood there and waited and waited and I kept hoping. I wanted to see the door open at the long way down at the end of the hall. I kept looking and the door didnt open. I said, Whats going on? I hope the door opens.
I looked for her dad; I couldnt find her dad. I looked for her brother; I couldnt find her brother. I said, They gotta be with her. I kept waiting for the door to open, and the door finally opened. I mean, Im like a jack-in-the-box up there. Im bopping up and down, eager anticipation, can barely contain myself. And then the door opens, and here comes Kathryn with the Wedding March down the aisle on the arm of her father, her brother nearby.
And I said, Its gonna happen. Its gonna happen, and it did. And, folks, I have to tell you, a lot of people get do-overs, a lot of people have false starts. I had my share. I got this one right, thank God. Got this one right. These past 10 years, I cannot imagine and Im, by the way, not just saying this. I share my passions with you, and Ive been open and up front about as much as I can.
Ill tell you, I cannot imagine these 10 years without Kathryn in them, especially now, after having gotten the cancer diagnosis. Shes just been a gigantic pillar of strength, and just does everything imaginable and possible to keep things as upbeat and positive as they can be. And I know its hard on her. Its gotta be hard. Its gotta be devastating on her, but I never see that.
She always hides it. She has always put me first anyway, but in the last six months or so, I havent known what being put first is until these past six months. Im truly blessed by God with her in my life. She put together last night a video of the wedding that is comprised of still shots. And there were all kinds of still shots of people, guests, Elton John performing.
It was just all-encompassing, and she chose the Elton John song Im Still Standing as the song to which all of these pictures are put, almost like a still shot video. Im Still Standing is a perfect, perfect choice, and it even Its focus is on the wedding, June 5, 2010, but there are even pictures of the State of the Union this past February where I was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Theres some great pictures of us on the way to Washington on the plane and then on the way back after the event with the Medal of Freedom around my neck. She sent it to me last night and I looked at it. I just ran out of words and ran out of emotions to describe its impact on me. It was just Im sitting here saying, Im not worthy, but, of course, I am, and thats the point.
So I wanted to share all of this with you because I share as much of these kinds of things as I can. But its just really a blessing; Im filled with so many. My entire life has been blessed, and thats a very comforting way to look at it, to have no regrets. Its not in my makeup to have regrets anyway, cause you cant do anything about it. But literally to have no regrets, to be thankful for all of the people that I have met, all the people who are friends, have become friends.
All the opportunities that Ive had, and all of the overwhelming support from across the spectrum that I have had, especially but not limited to the past six months. I only hope I can only hope that for men and women both, that someday maybe its happening now in your life, that there is a Kathryn who is able to withstand anything that comes your way, to rise above it, to be bigger than it, and to keep you on as even a keel as possible.
There is also Ive got to tell you one other thing. Its treatment time, ladies and gentlemen. So this means that I will be out at least Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week, and maybe Thursday and Friday. It is treatment time. If this goes this time like it did last time These are three-week intervals. The infusions have a life span of three weeks, and then you go back and you repeat, for those of you that know how this works.
The first five days, I was inexperienced with this particular kind of chemo. Id had the bad experience with the clinical trial drugs, and it was horrible. It was rotten. I had to get off of them. But I had no idea what to expect. You remember the Thursday three weeks ago. You know, I was out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, came in on Thursday, and I told you I wasnt gonna be here Friday cause I was just gassed, meaning I was just worn out.
From Thursday, Friday, Saturday, to Sunday of that week three weeks ago (sigh), it was yucko. I didnt talk to anybody. Again, it was like during the clinical trial drug period when they got to their worst. I just disengaged. Im not complaining. Im setting you up for the possibility I may miss all of next week if the process repeats, and Im told that as the stuff is added to the system, it could even get worse. The treatment could become even more intense.
It doesnt last for longer than the first week, maybe five days. But still, those first five days happen to coincide with workday week here. So I want you to know Im gonna do my best to be in here Thursday and Friday of next week, but it may not happen. It just totally depends on how I react. Now, a lot of you continue to ask, Is it working? I dont know. Folks, I really dont know.
I can only give you my laymans assessment of how I feel on a day-to-day basis. You know, there are good days and bad days, and there are good weeks and bad weeks. And this has been a great two-week period. And the last two to three days have been stellar. The last two to three days Ive almost felt what I consider normal and normal, to me, is those days before I even knew I had cancer and before Id even started any kind of treatment.
I felt that way the past two, three days.
Now, that isnt gonna last because the next treatments gonna come, and I dont know why that is.
Could it be that the treatment is working or is it that the treatment nearing the end of a three-week cycle is wearing off? And, believe me, these treatments, theres a lot of stuff that how to phrase this. Theyre hitting me with a lot of stuff. Everybodys taking this very seriously. In other words, theres more than just one type of treatment being thrown at me. And so all I can tell you is Im feeling really good.
My shortness of breath has not presented in the last three to four days. And thats the big deal. Thats the most limiting thing when that pops up. There are ways of dealing with that. There are ways of treating that. And they have been successful up to now. I also am of the solid, firm belief that prayers work. I have always thought so. Its impossible to know. Thats where faith comes in. But my faith is solid that they work. And I know how many of you are engaged in prayer for me.
In fact, I pray every night to God not to disappoint you, that your prayers be answered. I do it in a respectful way. But thats pretty much the status. I needed to tell you that next week is treatment week. And Im looking forward to it, not because of the way Im gonna feel, but because I just have a sense and, by the way, this changes. Like the last time when I was going through the days I was gassed and tired, if you would have asked me then, I would have told you, This isnt working. This is horrible. I mean, its just the way it affects people.
Chemo is a poison. Its dastardly thing. And we tried three different kinds, three different cocktails, and you have to accept that when its working sometimes theres a price to pay for it, and you deal with it. And this is just another example. I would be lost, I literally would be unable to process this as maturely and reasonably as Im able to with Kathryn leading the way through this. So Ive been very fortunate, folks.
Its like I told you on the first day I announced this, or one of them, when I first saw the videotape or the film of the great New York Yankee, Lou Gehrig, announcing that he had ALS and thus he was retiring from the New York Yankees. He said, Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. And Ill be honest. I watched that, and I said, How in the world can he think that? Hes just been given a death sentence. How in the world? Is he just saying this for PR? Is this something the Yankees dreamed up thats gonna build his legacy and so forth?
And I was not being critical, just intellectually I didnt understand how in the world, when youre just told that you have something for which there isnt a cure and you are going to succumb to it, how you then go out in front of a packed Yankee Stadium and say you consider yourself the luckiest man alive.
Well, I understand it now. I dont mean to be comparing myself to Lou Gehrig. Im saying I understand the sentiment. I understand exactly what he meant. And its because of the people who love you. Its because of the things that you realize, because of the reflection that you engage in, looking back over your life, the blessings that, in my case, my life has been. So I understand it now, whereas I was confused originally.
So we just keep plodding on folks. And we take every good day as a good day and hope its a trend. And try to be as normal as normalcy permits. Its hard to escape the attitude that I am a cancer patient, but I try. And I have vowed, the reason I dont do these updates very much is because I told you Im not gonna be a cancer patient on the radio. But periodic updates Ive decided, especially when its gonna result in my not being here, you deserve to know. So thats that one.
I am happy for Rush. He earned it all but seemed “unlucky in love”, until he met this one. Good for him, and thank you Kathryn.
‘Reading this doesnt give me much optimism for his prognosis.’
indeed; and I’m sure there are a merry band of detractors chilling the champagne even as we speak...
God bless Rush and Kathryn.
Yes...I have a wife who seems to understand my...er...moods, and knows when to walk away and let me be. I don’t think I could buy something that valuable with money...she treats me like gold.
54 years! I bow my head in a gesture of genuine respect!
Indeed. A loving beloved wife is the greatest blessing a man can have. Mine has dilegently seen me through to conquering Stage 3 Stomach Cancer this past year. She has always been my angel from heaven.
A true American patriot
and in 2009
my audiologist asked me if I have heard of the Cochlear Implant device? did I fill her in, I told her Rush Limbaugh taught me...she gave me a test of about 25 questions...and I hit it out of the park, she told me she would like to arrange a meeting with a Doctor in Pittsburgh, at UPMC.. and I loved the Doctor instantly, I followed all the tests he required, and we filed with MEDICARE....they refused me...My good Doctor filed an appeal and fought for me...and six months later, he called and said....WE WON, MEDICARE APPROVED MY SURGERY...AND IN MARCH 2010 I HAD MY FIRST IMPLANT..
.
What difference it made in my life...hubby thrilled, and my two adult kids were so wonderful helping me through it all , after all I was 67 yrs old...and in October of 2011, my Doctor asked if I was ready for #2...yes I was...and he took care of all arrangements and BINGO...I BECAME BILATERAL COCHLEAR IMPLANTED...
I later learned my local Audiologist was a student of my Dr..as he is also a teaching Professor at the UPMC...She put me in good hands...I always thank her...
So Rush was my original teacher...I love the man...and we need his voice at this election time, I pray daily to God for him...that our Masters, Nail Scared Hands will be laid upon our RUSH LIMBAUGH and restore him to a healthy state in life, and his will be done...I truly Trust our Lord, I believe in his healing strength...and I pray to him also for my beloved daughter, WHO is our Miracle Kid...she was born to us after 14 years...and I've not mentioned this on FR but three years ago at age 42 she also was diagnosed with Cancer..FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA, she is a fighter like Rush, she gives me strength and courage, she is such a wonderful gift to us...soon she will undergo another PET SCAN which is difficult...My prayers are that it come back and surprises the poop out of the doctors and shows us she is holding steady and strong...she is treated at the Atlanta GA. Cancer Center and she loves her physical and had put all her trust in him and her faith with our Master...She is so much stronger than me...so daily she, LEIGH ANN and RUSH L. ARE MY DAILY PRAYER...
JUST SHARING...THANKS IF YOU READ THIS...
Haircutter~~~PA.
I believe that there are successful lung transplants....
54 years! I bow my head in a gesture of genuine respect!
And I thank you and appreciate that.....almost lost him 2 1/2 years ago but God pulled him through and he’s still with us and I’m so grateful every day for His mercy....;)
Over the years I’ve listened to countless talk show hosts. Some I still like and listen to and some I just can’t listen to anymore. I used to be a Glenn Beck fan many years ago and that was before he had a time slot on Fox News but he went off the deep end. I can listen to Levin and Hannity from time to time but they tend to get on my nerves.
There is only 1 El-Rushbo. I dread the day when he’s no longer on the air. NO ONE!! No one can replace him. He’s been my favorite since the mid-’90s.
Will keep your sweet daughter, Leigh Ann, in my prayers....for all that you offered up, in petition...to the Master.
What a wonderful story and beautiful testimony.
Thank you for sharing.
Rush: “she chose the Elton John song Im Still Standing as the song to which all of these pictures are put,”
Dr Sivana is saying that Elton John’s own video is a whole different animal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHwVBirqD2s
The gay was strong with that one.
Absolutely. There were Limbaugh fans who weren’t pleased with that choice.
I am glad to hear that. A blessing to get another chance...:)
“Rush not only revived conservatism, he revived A.M. radio”
Reviving AM radio, definitely.
Reviving conservatism? No.
Conservatives managed to elect Ronald Reagan without anyone having ever heard of a Rush Limbaugh. The people who promoted conservatism and paved the way for Reagan’s election were writers. The only national radio voice would arguably have been Paul Harvey.
What Rush did was create an entertaining pop-conservative show that for years uncritically served the goals of Bush Republicans. And there was plenty in it that wasn’t conservative at all.
You are a lucky man, to have someone like that at your side. Glad to hear you have won that battle...:)
God Bless them both. I pray he makes it through this.
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