I was pretty sure the loss had started around the end of 2000 or the beginning of 2001 as he had his implants done sometime in Nov or Dec 2001. The loss was something that went very fast.
That is why if the supply of pain killers began in 1998 as per article it didn't have anything to do with his hearing loss.
There is no way in the world I believe what this women is saying. That Rush found out her husband was on pain killers and he just asks her to get him some.