Opportunity Knocks Twice: Prologue

Nobody likes a whiner, so the saying goes.  Thus, society tells us to make lemonade from our misfortunes and toast our own successes.  Very well.  I'll take a nice helping of Bacardi Limon in mine, please...

Anyway, I'm trying to find an artful way of telling you, Dearest Reader, I have no intention of whining about the condition that's invaded parts of my brain nor the symptoms.  So, let's start with a review of the facts: