A Hearing Limbaugh Returns to the Airwaves

NewsMax.com ^ | 1/03/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Talk radio megastar Rush Limbaugh returned to his regular three-hour daily broadast on Thursday for the first time since undergoing cochlear implant brain surgery on Dec. 19 to restore his hearing.

"The surgery went well," the upbeat-sounding Limbaugh told his audience. "In fact, the doctor said that it went spectacularly well."

Still, the legendary talker cautioned that the ultimate success of the operation - whether or not it restores his hearing - won't be known for some time.

"No two implant patients are the same," he explained. "So there's no way of predicting." Limbaugh noted that half of all implant recipients are still unable to use the phone - a crucial part of his job as a talk host.

Limbaugh said he asked his doctor, "Can I read anything into to future performance of the implant in hearing you say the surgery went spectacularly well?"

"No, not really," came the response. "It just means that there were no boney protrusions. All 16 electrodes were seated firmly, very well, and tested flawlessly."

The talk host added jovially, "He did say that my skull was the hardest he ever tried to saw through in his entire career."

But despite his words of caution, the famed talker indicated that some of his hearing had already returned.

"You turn this (implant) on and you hear every little thing.... Then you've got to learn to distinguish those sounds from voices your hearing. And then you've got to try and figure out the words."

He described his first week after the surgery as "a big challenge."

"It was a pretty quick recovery. I guess maybe five or six days to get over the major aspects of the dizziness and the discomfort associated with an incision. Bandages were removed after about ten days or so."

Coming out of one commercial break during his first hour back on the air, Limbaugh joked, "On the cutting edge of societal evolution, Rush Limbaugh - still with half my brain tied behind my back just to make it fair. And that's, by the way, after brain surgery."

[Matchett-PI]

Dittos!! RUSH RULES!!! Always did! Always will!

[LoneGOPinCT]

Let's hope for a speedy, and successful, recovery.

[aimhigh]

Oregon Health Sciences University did a recent study that found one cause of sudden hearing loss. They traced it to blood vessels in the ear that allow too much sodium into the inner ear, and fail to balance it with potassium. They experiemented with some animals, caused hearing loss, and were able to restore the hearing of most with some sort of steroids that removed the sodium.

[Faith]

Great news! God bless you, Rush, and may the Great Physician continue to restore you to good health. Welcome back!

[MoralSense]

Roger Hedgecock is UNBEARABLE, a total idiot, regardless of his purported views or his ten-year record on talk radio. There are all kinds of unbearable talk show hosts, never mind their opinions. Mike Gallagher, for one. Richard Bey, for another.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Hedgecock likes to bully callers that don't buy into his way of thinking, as evidenced by his treatment of folks challenging government payments to September 11th families.
Rush was right on this subject, as usual.

[Carl/NewsMax]

Alancarp is indeed correct. After some double checking I learned that, despite Rush's first person reference, "you hear every little thing," he was referring to his friend, not himself.

I was taping the broadcast but had to flip the tape just as he was saying that his implant had yet to be "hooked up," and therefore missed the comment that made this clear.

Sorry about the misreport. The NewsMax copy and headline have been corrected to reflect those statements.

[RobRoy]

Yeah, he may have just had an off day. I could have made his point better than he did and I disagree with him.

I know that someday I, too, will have an off day. I'll let everyone know how it felt with a vanity post 8^>

[Hildy]

What is Rush's take on Government payments to the families? I'm not sure how I feel about it either. But I'm leaning towards the "let the private sector" take care of it. We're heading towards dangerous waters.

[Hildy]

Are you making this assessment on his Rush gigs, or have you listened to him in San Diego? I'm just curious.

[Hildy]

Are you making this assessment on his Rush gigs, or have you listened to him in San Diego? I'm just curious.

[ventana]

As you know well, deaf or not, Rush gets his facts straight by assiduously checking them, unlike this would-be reporter. V's wife.

[M. Thatcher]

you're right. but to give the reporter his due, I believe he is planning to issue a correction...

[malakhi]

Is this 'Carl from Oyster Bay'? If so, I remember hearing your calls to the old Jay Severin show, and (if I remember correctly) Bob Grant before that. Didn't know you were a freeper, though!

[Fred Mertz]

I heard bits and pieces of Rush's comments during to my drive to lunch. I was also under the impression that he was in the 'hearing mode' based on his comments.

So, there you have it.

[Severa]

Here I was about to respond to the article but your reply post is better than anything I could come up with. Well said!

[malakhi]

The person I'd really love to hear as a sub for Rush is Charles Sykes from WTMJ radio in Milwaukee. He's been hosting a morning show for several years, and is as facile with national issues as with local topics. He is also the author of several well-regarded books on conservative issues.

Midday with Charlie Sykes web site.

[The Bat Lady]

I wanted to call about Government money going to the families. It seems that the American people gave plenty right away.

All the Goverment needs to do is to make sure that the charities GET the money to the families instead of United Way giving it to weird causes like... the legal dept. for the terrorists. What was that all about?????

[DuncanWaring]

About these "Government payments to families"-

Didn't any of these folks who got killed have life insurance?