The pervading wisdom seems to be that for dso that a fast refractor is the way to go. A triplet Apochromat or similar, 4 or 5".
If imaging, you could consider something like a C11 SCT with hyperstar, that turns your C11 into a short focal length f2 scope! You can then shoot some DSOs without guiding. That way you get a great planetary scope that can also do DSO without having to get long exposures. You could add an inexpensive ED80 refractor for other DSO work and visual and guiding. I'd go a C11 Edge over a 9.25 due to the hyper star capability and the coma reduction, and it is still easy to manage.
http://starizona.com/acb/hyperstar/images.aspx
Then on a budget you could add something like an ED127 refractor would be a good start, or a TSA120 takahashi if you are cashed up.
Glad to hear you are well, I went through a similar situation with NHL, I hope your health stays good and you get to enjoy plenty of clear night skies!
If you added