Lance’s story is not one of a sudden fall—it’s a slow unraveling that began with something seemingly ordinary: a surgery at age 20.
In 1994, after a shoulder operation, Lance was introduced to opioids. At first, they were a legitimate solution to real pain. But what stayed with him wasn’t just the relief—it was the escape. The numbness. The quieting of something deeper he couldn’t yet name.
Six months later, another surgery brought another supply. This time, the pattern took hold. Instead of leaning into rehabilitation, Lance leaned into the pills. Why endure discomfort when relief was just a dose away?
When prescriptions ran out, the addiction didn’t.
It adapted.
Lance began stealing—quietly, strategically. He would ask to use someone’s bathroom and search their cabinets. What started as opportunistic behavior escalated into something far more extreme. At one point, Lance had all his teeth pulled—not out of necessity, but to justify getting more pain medication.
“Once you start using, everything hurts,” he later said.
Over the years, Lance became highly skilled at maintaining appearances while secretly feeding his addiction. He learned how to manipulate doctors, work the system, and hide the truth from nearly everyone around him. In 2004, after his own brother turned him in, Lance was placed on weekly court-ordered drug testing. Yet week after week, the tests came back clean—not because he was sober, but because he had learned exactly when to take the tests and how to stay one step
ahead of the system.
His family knew something was wrong. But like many families facing addiction, their efforts to help often turned into enabling. Conversations only happened when things reached a breaking point, and then faded again into silence.
Meanwhile, Lance’s life continued to orbit around obtaining drugs. At one point, he paid a man’s mortgage for an entire year in exchange for a steady supply.
In 2013, after moving to Arizona, Lance was caught stealing pills from a woman’s purse. No charges were filed because those around him weren’t looking to punish him—they simply wanted him to get better. Even then, the addiction continued to tighten its grip, and before long, he had found new sources through coworkers.
Addiction had become not just a habit, but a full-time pursuit.
And Lance had become very good at it.
Everything changed in 2022.
He arranged to buy Lortab, expecting the familiar. Instead, he received counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. What could have ended his life became a turning point. At the same time, his wife—who had stood by him through years of chaos—reached her limit.
For the first time, the consequences felt real.
That fear, combined with the possibility of losing his marriage, pushed Lance into rehab.
It was there that he began to understand the deeper roots of his addiction. For the first time, he confronted a painful truth: he had been sexually abused as a child, around the age of 10. The drugs hadn’t just been about physical pain—they had been numbing something much older.
Healing meant more than just quitting substances. It meant facing what he had spent decades avoiding.
Lance now speaks openly about the danger of hiding.
“Hiding things can be the worst thing you do,” he says.
In recovery, he found strength not only in honesty, but in connection. He remains close to a group of men and women he went through recovery with—people who committed to always having a plan, always staying accountable, and always speaking up about what they’re going through.
He also found strength in faith.
“One of my biggest fears was praying for the first time for help,” Lance shared. “I was afraid of what the answer would be, but I knew it was what I needed to hear.”
Today, he credits both his faith in God and the unwavering support of his wife as foundational to his recovery.
Recently, Lance faced another two major tests when he needed shoulder surgery and knee surgery. For someone whose addiction began with post-surgical opioids, it could have been a dangerous situation. But with the help of Dr Dee, careful planning, and what Lance believes was a blessing from God to experience very little pain, he was able to go through both the surgery and recovery without using opiates. He is deeply grateful for God’s help and mercy throughout the entire process, especially given how complex the procedures were.
Now, Lance lives with a clear sense of purpose: to share his story.
He knows recovery isn’t something that can be forced.
“No one will stop until they are ready,” he says.
But he also believes deeply in possibility.
Anyone can recover—if they’re willing to be honest, to seek help, and to face the truth.
His advice is simple, but hard-earned:
Don’t hide.
Stay connected.
And learn to recognize the victories—even the small ones.
Because sometimes, those small victories are where real recovery begins.
A special thank you to Julie and Mike Dee for their friendship, support, and unwavering help throughout this journey. Their care, guidance, and commitment to helping others have made a lasting impact on Lance’s life and recovery.
