Brent, a couple of questions: what did your sleeping-at-elevation picture look like prior to those two AMS episodes? Were these dayhikes or overnighters? Some people are wired to go from sea level to 14K' without a hitch, but most of us need to sleep high to go higher without AMS. The body does it's real acclimation work while you're at rest for an extended period at elevation. Even something as simple as one night at the Portal (8.5K'), one at Outpost Camp (10K') and one at Trail Camp (12K') should have most people ready to get up to the summit and back down to the Portal without a problem on the 3rd trail day.
I know you said you'd prefer not to do this, but it gets you 3 nights at elevation and doesn't push the envelope based on your history. Virtually anything else in the area will have you sleeping that first night very close to the elevation where you've experienced AMS in the past.
Also, what was your Diamox dosage and schedule?
