Bill, I'm probably much older than you, and I've watched many people leave.
I can tell you that in all cases "managing pain" did not work, and my mates died in agony.  

Medical people consistently lied to them about recovery hopes and then utterly abandoned them when demise was obvious. 
I never saw the slightest wisp of redemption in my buddies' sufferings, it consumed everything.
You can't imagine how horrible it is when pain is the only player in the room.
I put "pain management" in the same folder with "balanced budget" and "so that this can never happen again". Regards.