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John fought through it all. Diagnosed with cancer, he tried everything to stop the pain. The only option that really helped, however, was managing his pain with an opioid prescription. A difficult choice considering the tragic epidemic ravaging the country, John continued to search for other options hoping to avoid the more notorious side effects of the medicine. John lived through hell as he could find no way to manage his pain, trying other medicines such as methadone but to no avail. When the doctors finally allowed John to start using opioids, he found that he could once more control his pain, freeing him to now live a functional life. John is now cancer-free, though he still suffers through chronic pain that is fortunately alleviated with his medicine. "Opioids can be abused," John says, "but they can save lives too. We need to find a balance."