Posted on 10/10/2003 12:17:21 PM PDT by ThePythonicCow
Press Release
| Source: Premiere Radio |
Rush Limbaugh Statement on Prescription Pain Medication Stories
Friday October 10, 2:55 pm ET
"You know I have always tried to be honest with you and open about my life. So I need to tell you today that part of what you have heard and read is correct. I am addicted to prescription pain medication.
"I first started taking prescription painkillers some years ago when my doctor prescribed them to treat post surgical pain following spinal surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery was unsuccessful and I continued to have severe pain in my lower back and also in my neck due to herniated discs. I am still experiencing that pain. Rather than opt for additional surgery for these conditions, I chose to treat the pain with prescribed medication. This medication turned out to be highly addictive.
"Over the past several years I have tried to break my dependence on pain pills and, in fact, twice checked myself into medical facilities in an attempt to do so. I have recently agreed with my physician about the next steps.
"Immediately following this broadcast, I am checking myself into a treatment center for the next 30 days to once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me. The show will continue during this time, of course, with an array of guest hosts you have come to know and respect.
"I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons. They are said to be great role models and examples for others. Well, I am no role model. I refuse to let anyone think I am doing something great here, when there are people you never hear about, who face long odds and never resort to such escapes. They are the role models. I am no victim and do not portray myself as such. I take full responsibility for my problem.
"At the present time, the authorities are conducting an investigation, and I have been asked to limit my public comments until this investigation is complete. So I will only say that the stories you have read and heard contain inaccuracies and distortions, which I will clear up when I am free to speak about them.
"I deeply appreciate all your support over this last tumultuous week. It has sustained me. I ask now for your prayers. I look forward to resuming our excursion into broadcast excellence together."
For audio/video clip(s) of Rush Limbaugh's on-air statement, please go to
www.rushlimbaugh.com and/or www.premieretalk.com.
Hardly. They're in the same molecular family, but they are *not* the same thing.
The problem (and probably the reason he opted not to have it done) is that back surgeries are very tricky and can be a real crapshoot. For every person I know whose condition has improved via back surgery, I know someone whose condition was made considerably worse. There are no guarantees, and sometimes it's better to live with the problems you know than risk adding to them.
But I don't like messing with that stuff exactly because it is too easy to get in this kind of trouble.
I also had a herniated disk that I battled with aspirin and ibuprofen only, for the same reason.
You've got a real way with words there, kiddo. I like it. LOL
No, because he was obviously talking about the drugs that our nation has decided should be flatly illegal, not drugs accepted as beneficial for medical use, unless you really think it makes sense for him to have been saying, "there's nothing good about medicine use" and "medicine use, some might say, is destroying the country".
Whether you agree with the policy or not, our country (and all countries, AFAIK) draws a sharp line between prohibited drugs and prescription drugs, and so do most people (including myself).
I doubt he would himself, nor would he ask another to, just plead guilt and offer himself up to the sheriff for incarceration.
Cool -- according to Title XLVI, Section 893.13 (6)(a), I'm committing a felony when my wife asks me to go to the medicine cabinet and bring her prescription medicine to her.
Unless Rush defrauded his (alleged) drug dealer, I don't see how this part of the statute applies. Straight-up buying illegal drugs doesn't qualify as "misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge", even if it's illegal on other grounds.
Care to try again?
Actually, that's not obvious at all, because it's very common for doctors to be quite "paranoid" about prescribing strong painkillers on a long-term basis, and cut off patients who still badly need the medication. In fact, the heavy federal regulations concerning "controlled" medications very strong encourage such things -- doctors can lose their license or go to jail if a panel of bureaucrats thinks they prescribe "too many" controlled painkillers. My wife had acute chronic pain for many years, and we saw this first hand, and have met and read about countless other people experienced the same problem.
The prescription habits of doctors licensed to prescribe controlled painkillers (and most are not) are watched so closely that the prescriptions have to be written on special "triplicate" forms, one copy of which is mailed directly to the government oversight body, which computerizes the information and can easily review it for anything they consider a "red flag".
Then it's too bad you weren't.
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