I am semi-retired and drive a school bus to fill my days and earn a little extra cash.  Last October, I came down with the sniffles and a cough (more on that later).  No big deal, thought I.  Bus drivers pick up all kinds of viruses while driving a virtual petri-dish. Then my ophthalmologist informed me that my cataracts had worsened to the point I had to do something about them.  In fact, he told me I was almost blind in my left eye in the dark and that I shouldn't be driving a school bus as most of my hours occur during dark morning time. So, I inform my boss and they take my bus away pending cataract surgery which was supposed to take place within two weeks.  I had the first eye done, but there were complications due to the cough I developed the previous month. Seems it is a bad idea to go cutting on one's eyeball if there's a chance of a cough.  Anyway, they went ahead and did the first eye under general anesthesia, but the anesthesiologist refused to do the second eye so long as I had the cough.  Off to the ENT specialist to see what can be done about the cough.  Turns out I have a massive sinus infection.  After four rounds of anti-biotics  to no effect, I was scheduled for balloon sinuplasty, which, I am assured will certainly take care of the problem. No such luck.  The sinuplasty has no effect either. During the anti-biotic treatments, my hemoglobin count drops (again), so back to the gastro doc for an EGD and cauterization of some bleeders in my belly.  Shortly after that, a brand new mole shows up on my right big toe.  Off to the dermatologist where I'm diagnosed with an early stage melanoma.  Surgery for that is scheduled right away which includes taking some skin from my shoulder for a skin graft.  Good news, margins are clear and all is well.  Back to the cataract problem.  By this time, I'm out of work almost three months and I get a phone call saying that because I've abandoned my job, I will be terminated.  I guess my immediate supervisor has failed to keep the big-wigs informed of my lack of progress, and there are many hoops to jump through to save the job.  One last attempt at antibiotics for the cough and voila!, the Cipro finally works. The cough eases enough to schedule the second cataract surgery which goes off without a hitch.  I can now return to work as soon as my sight stabilizes and hopefully this string of relatively minor health issues is over and I'll be able to get back to riding the bike with my Patriot Guard brothers. Getting older is certainly not for the weak.