Att'y Roy Black: Rush Was in Constant Pain

NewsMax ^ | 10/13/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Talk radio megastar Rush Limbaugh suffered constant pain since surgery to alleviate a chronic back problem failed six years ago, his attorney, Roy Black, said Monday.

"One thing I can tell you is that Rush Limbaugh has been in pain for many years . . . sort of this constant pain," he told NBC's Today Show.

"Anyone who has suffered through this knows how difficult that is," the powerhouse lawyer contended. "It is very easy under those circumstances to fall into abuse of medication. And I think now that Rush realizes how much that's going to affect his health and his life [he] has pledged to take care of that."

Black said that he had "all the confidence in the world" that Limbaugh would be able to kick the painkiller pill habit with the proper treatment. Immediately after Friday's broadcast, the top rated talker checked himself into a rehab program at an undisclosed location.

As for Limbaugh's legal predicament - Florida law enforcement authorities have confirmed he's under investigation as part of a wider probe - Black said only that his client would keep his pledge to cooperate.

Asked if Limbaugh's decision to enter a 30-day rehabilitation program would have any impact on how prosecutors decided to handle his case, Black said, "I would certainly think so."

[Dianna]

Absolutely right. How many people who fill that Rx and start it for the first time ever think they may become addicted?

It's pretty creepy because my husband has had quite a few medical problems over the last 6 months. Since May he has filled 3 prescriptions for vicodin, 1 has a refill. I never once thought to check on his meds, see if he's taking too much. All of the bottles still have pills in them and they're getting flushed down the toilet.

10 years ago I had my wisdom teeth taken out. I can't remember what I was prescribed, but my dad insisted every time I went to take a pill that I only take half the dose. He was fierce about it! And he was right because I didn't suffer from pain at all and was off the meds in two days. When I went back to be checked 4 days after the surgery, the surgeon asked if I wanted more meds.

[DaughterofEve]

My view is, as long as they prescribe addictive medication, many people will continue to become addicted. And who among us who has suffered intense torturous pain would NOT want docs to prescribe those drugs? It's a real catch-22 situation with an unfortunate percentage of bad results.

[Humidston]

I confess at having a bias against rock and rollers who flaunt their behavior and who seem not to care about much of anything other than their own desires.

I understand that an addict is an addict is an addict and I'm sure Rush will face his own demons during his recovery. He may even end up identifying with other addicts; I certainly can't predict.

So I guess we're at a stalemate my friend. I agree with half of what you've said. It's just that other half that I choke on. ;-)

[witnesstothefall]

So far only Rush Limbaugh himself and now this notorious criminal defense attorney have attested to Rush Limbaugh suffering chronic pain. I have yet to see a disinterested party's report that Rush was ever seen in visible pain. Ever is big word.

There is circumstantial evidence that there was no chronic condition (golf, no special seating for his marathon sessions at the mike, his own public statement last July that there's nothing at all wrong with him). There is no circumstantial evidence whatsoever to support the desperate-sounding theories of his escape from excruciating pain.

Say hello to the 800 pound gorilla sitting in the living room.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Roy Black has been vilified on this forum many times...

Not by me. He is a brilliant attorney. I was surprised that Kobe didn't hire him.

[Founding Father]

I was surprised also.

[joesbucks]

You may be right about the time. He may not be able to do it as he might be under contractual obligations. There are many radio stations that pay to carry his show. Without him for a long period of time, listeners may travel to other broadcasts. If I was an owner, I sure wouldn't want that to happen and still have to pay $$ to see my audience slip away. Not only that, but his show also pumps up the balance of a stations ratings. That equals lost revenue in other dayparts. There are potential serious legal consequences with his syndicators and the stations that air his show.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

It surely is a catch-22.

[InvisibleChurch]

i gotta wonder if playing golf with a bad back is the smartest thing to do

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

You are fortunate that you were able to get by without much pain medication. Not everyone is so lucky.

As you have read in some posts here, constant pain can nearly drive people to suicide. I can only imagine how it must be to face every day with discomfort and agony.

It is my hope that the field of pain management continues to expand and new drugs/therapies are discovered that may be safer than what is available today.

Meanwhile, pain should not be left untreated for the person who finds it unbearable.

[Mick2000]

I confess at having a bias against rock and rollers who flaunt their behavior and who seem not to care about much of anything other than their own desires.

I understand that an addict is an addict is an addict and I'm sure Rush will face his own demons during his recovery. He may even end up identifying with other addicts; I certainly can't predict.

So I guess we're at a stalemate my friend. I agree with half of what you've said. It's just that other half that I choke on. ;-)

Well, I find myself changing my standpoint somewhat.. As for rock and rollers who flaunt their behavior.. from what I've read over the past couple days, I'm actually having less sympathy for them. I mean, I am somewhat of a libertarian in that if they want to do that sort of thing and they're not hurting anyone except themselves.. well, it's tough for me to judge it.

But if you're going to be like Snoop Dogg and write homages to marijuana in your songs and wear hats/clothing with marjuana leaves on it and basically glorify the dope lifestyle, or be like Eminem and not only write songs about Vicodin but also sporting a Vicodin tattoo on his arm.. I start to think about the influence they're going to have on kids, my kids especially, and that's when my opinion drops and any sympathy I might have had goes away. As for Cobain.. he still gets some of my sympathy because of the nature of his problems, but by the same token he sure did glorify the drugged out lifestyle and that is something I do now have a problem with.

And one thing I'm happy about to say is that the more I read about this the more sympathy I have for Rush and his situation and the less inconsistency in his views. It's just truly unfortunate that he became addicted because of his back pain and I hope that his recovery goes well.

[Dianna]

You are fortunate that you were able to get by without much pain medication. Not everyone is so lucky.

Please don't think I was slamming anyone. I was just commenting about my own carelessness. Without my dad's interference I would have taken every one of those pills.

And knowing that my husband has been prescribed a number of painkillers over the last few months, it never occured to me to see what he was taking. I didn't even know I had 3 bottles of vicodin in the house until I went looking.

My husband could have been taking those pills steadily since May (if the Dr kept prescribing them) and I doubt I would have noticed.

[lafroste]

... and I've been listening to Rush since way before Bob's Bake Sale BTW

AHEM!!!

I think you mean Dan's Bake Sale...<P.How long have you been tuning in?

[BlessedBeGod]

Prayers for your mother.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

Please don't think I was slamming anyone

:-) I understand that you weren't.

Your thoughts do bring up several important points though.

1) If a non-addictive pain reliever can do the job, don't take the Rx (Vicodin, Percocet, etc.) that was offered.

2) Many people enter into the world of prescription pain relief with very little awareness of its potential problem.

3) It appears that almost all introduction to pain pills is legally prescribed by a physician. This fact alone indicates the clear difference between the street druggie versus the unintentional addict.

[RS]

"I think you mean Dan's Bake Sale...<P.How long have you been tuning in?"

...long enough so that my mind and fingers don't cooperate sometimes :-)
( I wonder if continued use of a mink mitten on your head makes your brain go soft ? )

[NutCrackerBoy]

It appears that almost all introduction to pain pills is legally prescribed by a physician. This fact alone indicates the clear difference between the street druggie versus the unintentional addict.

So many people are comforting themselves by restating this difference over and over! Here is my analysis.

Rush loses his moral authority if he is no better than a street addict. People are trying hard to continue seeing him as an upstanding guy.

Let's look at harsh truth. An upstanding person that unintentionally becomes addicted to these strong painkillers can easily become a monster if the addiction goes untreated. The addiction will simply take away his morals. It is as true of honored grandmothers as it is of street trash people.

What Rush has revealed about himself informs us that he is at a severe risk of going to that bad place. He must get in and stay in recovery.

At this point, he is a humble recovering addict not unlike the recovering street addict, who also now can lead an upstanding life.

All that said, there is no reason why people should stop praising those who lead a moral life, and condemning those who forsake morals. In other words, we continue to abhor the behavior that destroyed the street addict. We may sympathize in a certain way, but we believe the person had choices and made bad ones. We are less critical of the choices made by the painkiller addict. But in all cases we understand addiction to be a disease that destroys morals, so we do not hate the addict for their addiction.

[Southflanknorthpawsis]

My, my, my......aren't you the lofty-perched one? Are you exhausted after climbing from so high above to mingle with we mere mortals?

You have a great amount to say. I wonder if you have ever suffered and sought needed relief.

So often it seems that self-righteous people like yourself, end up being the biggest hypocrites of all when a problem strikes them. All of a sudden the rules go out the window.

[Marie Antoinette]

Anybody suffering from unrelenting sciatic pain has my sympathy! I have pain nearly every day, but only during a pregnancy, so there's not too much for me to do except Tylenol and rest or just sit when it strikes. Another hurt is seeing the helplessness on my husband's face (children too), I know he wants to help but there's nothing for it really.

At least there's that reward of a baby at the end for me :-)

[XJarhead]

Big difference in getting addicted as the result of pain medication following an unsucessful surgery and using coke/crystal to pack your nose to get high. The distintion will be lost on the left!!

No, it won't be lost -- they understand it perfectly. They'll just choose to ignore it here because it suits their political agenda.

Its interesting how some others here are setting up all those strawmen regarding those who defend Rush. If whatever he did normally gets prosecuted, then he should be as well. On the other hand, there's nothing inconsistent with drawing a moral distinction between the guy who gets addicated to prescribed painkillers, and the person whose drug use begins as illegal and recreational. The biggest problem I have with those addicted to illegal drugs is that they made the choice to use those drugs when they were not addicted, knowing they were illegal.

Plenty of soldiers got addicted to morphine due to battlefield injuries, and subsequently remained addicted even after the pain left. I had and have a lot more sympathy for them than I do for those who treated drugs as a toy from the outset.

As for Rush's back pain and golfing, back pain can be something that comes and goes. You have good days and bad. Sometimes its sitting for a prolonged period that causes pain, sometimes sleeping, sometimes activity. It varies from person to person, so the mere fact that he was able to golf does not mean that he didn't have back pain.