Rush Limbaugh On Cancer Battle: “I’m Confident This Is Going Into Extra Innings.”

Here is Rush in his own words, from RushLimbaugh.com:

Okay, time for an update on my condition, my circumstances, my treatment. I told you all from the very beginning that I did not want to be a cancer patient here on the radio. Now, those of you who’ve been through this or have had family members go through it, you know that it takes over your life if you let it. You know that it has deep-seated psychological impacts on everybody in your family, including the person who has come down with it.

It takes a yeoman’s effort to get past all that. It takes a lot of effort to try to live what used to be and what you try to make a normal life again. But there’s always that cloud hanging out over there. So rather than talk about blood draws and all of the medical specifics, what I thought I would do was use a sports analogy.

And since I used to work for the Kansas City Royals I understand baseball a bit, and baseball is probably the best sport to use to analogize where I am to date in my treatment for what is, for those of you who don’t know — there’s new people listening, tuning in every day — advanced stage lung cancer which was diagnosed back in January, on the 20th.

So leaning on my time with the Kansas City Royals, I thought the best way to update you and to inform you would be with a baseball analogy. It was in late January that we learned of the diagnosis. That means we learned of a really tough opponent. So, it was time to go up to bat, time to walk to the plate, bat in hand, and that is exactly what happened. And my first two at-bats were horrible. My first two at-bats struck out. Nothing to show for it.

The first two attempts to deal with the cancer failed. One was a targeted therapy of clinical trial drugs, which worked but nearly killed me in the process. And so we had to get off of those. But that at-bat showed me I could hit the pitch. I wasn’t gonna strike out. I was at least able to make contact. We had some hope that there would be a remedy.

The second at-bat was a total and complete failure. I struck out on three pitches. Did not even make contact. So I’m now up in the bottom of the ninth, I’m 0-for-2. I have not reached first base. I didn’t coax a walk out of anybody. I didn’t get a hit, much less a double or a triple. But on my third at-bat, the third attempt, I managed to get on base. I hit a solid single and then stole second.

I am currently on second base hoping to slide into third and eventually make it all the way home. We’re in the bottom of the ninth. If I get all the way home we get extra innings. And that’s what we’re shooting for here. Another reason why I chose baseball — football and basketball have a clock and they end. Baseball doesn’t. Baseball goes as long as the game is tied. Right now I am tied. I need to round the bases and score. I need, however it happens, I need to either steal third, I need to steal home. The guy hitting behind me needs to come up with something.

But that’s what we’re shooting for here is extra innings, and we want as many of them as we can get. Now, don’t be alarmed by my direct mention of the first two at-bats being total failures. Well, they were both total failures, but one of them held promise. The current treatment regimen — and, folks, it’s really tough because I know that you’ve known people or you’ve heard other people that are in media who are going through this illness or any other kind of illness. They’re so eager to share with you good news that they do. And sometimes they get premature sharing the good news, and it isn’t long before they have to come say, “Uh, uh, oh, we’ve lost ground or it’s come back” or what have you.

And so I am and vowed to be very guarded with the good news because we’re talking about cancer. There are good days, good weeks. There are bad days and bad weeks. This past period, this past treatment, which was a week ago tomorrow, this has been much better than I thought. I was expecting, because of the cumulative effect of the toxicity, I was expecting to be, you know, in that just debilitating fatigue for 10 days. And I wasn’t. It lasted two days, Thursday and Friday. The weekend was good. But, again, anything can change rapidly and on a dime. So, it’s a blessing.

I believe prayer works. I know it does. It is a blessing that in my third at-bat, the last shot that I had at this, I got on base and I stole second, and I’m chugging on to third, and I’m very confident that I’m gonna score. I’m very confident that this is gonna go into extra innings. Meaning — well, you know what it means. I’m trying to avoid being specific in the lingo here. And, again, that’s simply because of how rapidly things can change with this kind of diagnosis.

But I’m feeling extremely good right now, even cautious about saying that. Who knows what tomorrow’s gonna bring. Good days and bad days. But I told you I would share information with you, and I told you I would keep you abreast of it. And so that’s pretty much it. That’s the sum total of it. I mean, I could be even more optimistic if I wanted to because there is reason to be, but, again, when every phase and stage happens that’s an improvement, I’ll be sure and pass it on."

Limbaugh disclosed his medical condition in January when he had learned of the diagnosis. 

He was then present at this year's State of the Union Address, where President Trump bestowed a very special honor on him.

As reported by USA Today:

In an unprecedented moment in presidential history, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

Limbaugh was visibly emotional as the president spoke about his longtime friend, who announced Monday that he's been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. He was one of the Trumps' special guests at the address, which touched on economic development, school choice, health care, immigration and the military."

There are few who have contributed to conservative causes quite like Rush Limbaugh. 

He has been a constant ally for the President, and most importantly, for America. 

Keep fighting the good fight, Rush, you're in our prayers!