Search the Community

When I was back in hospital in 2012 I was pretty destroyed if I am honest. I had my grade 4 event, grand mal seizures, acquired hydrocephalus , EVD surgery, coiling surgery and , endured the weeks of intensive care, of hospital stay. It was a long 7 weeks before I was allowed home and then when I did get go to home I could do nothing. I had sitters, I couldn't Cook, wash, sleep normally, let alone do any of the grown up things like look after my young girls or cook, work, or drive. I was 39 years old. But I tried to start putting the pieces back together but three months afterwards ended up blue lighted back up the M1 to my treating hospital with dangerously high level pressure of hydrocephalus. Numerous lumber punctures followed, some falling out of my hospital bed, the odd bed pan hilarity all led to my then having further surgery on my traumatised brain and a VP Shunt fitted. It was awful. I remember this time vividly. I have never felt such pain tbh, I was so ill, fair few near death moments, but again I was one of the lucky ones, I came home. That time, that new birthday started 8 years ago today. International women’s day. A time for looking forward and so have always tried to do that since. I started blogging after having my Shunt placed and still in hospital and found BTG not long after I got discharged before that I couldn't read a screen or at all if I’m honest, I had hidden the effects of the hydro so scared I was of going back in. So I blogged today about a few learnings. https://popgoestifty.blogspot.com/2020/03/annie-versary-post-transformation-and.html I have regained so much my fellow BTGers from that day but have also adopted a new style of being. No rush, try not to ever worry, about what I can’t change, lean and try and accept the pains in life and hope they will pass and mostly just enjoy this day. Even if all you can do today is wash your hair then that is an achievement as I know how it was not to be able to. Celebrate and see the good and the possibility and go steady. And reach for Help. BTG has been here for me along the way, someplace I could ask those question that’s filled me with fear, where I could tell someone else, hey that ‘s ok or me too , and where I allowed myself to adjust to a life’s that changed forever in the instant and go on from that. Privileged to be part of the gang. As Win would say I think, I gave myself permission to sing again...or maybe she did!! Go steady everyone Daff x . Postscript, my post SAH life continues to unfold, twist and turn, in the years since my girls have passed exams, with one about to start to drive, I have lost my darling mum, two aunties and countless friends through illness, I am back at work doing a job Im good at but done to my limits and I have got three dogs now, and the latest is a corgi puppy ( cuteness overload) into the mix so I walk everyday with them and am better for it. I struggle with memory but have prompts everywhere and by phone an day have retrained my brain to remember stuff differently, I am kind to myself, if I mess up that’s ok and I struggle daily with fatigue. But on the whole still Improving and a complete transformation from 8 years ago. Keep on keeping on

Hi my name is Dave. I am needing any help feedback, as to whether anyone else seems to have or have had recurring stroke like symptoms, 3years after a small stroke. 8years ago, at 39 yrs old I was a senior manager at a large uk ftse company, I then had a massive nervous breakdown. This was due to 20years of 15hour day 6days a weeks workaholic lifestyle, in business management and also running my own parttime business as well as working for private and public companies. I was and still suffering with hypertension, high cholesterol, and abnormal heart electrical QT wave signal diagnosed when I was 24years old, due to constantly having heart pain, I underwent stress tests which I couldnt complete and after having an angiogram,it was found that under stress, my heart arteries and blood vessels constrict severely causing me pain. All this eventually with my high work ethic, caused me to have a breakdown 8years ago, I then was unable to work and fell into severe depression. 3years ago whilst having a nice stroll near the beach at cleethorpes,with my wife i experienced loss of feeeling in my left leg for approx 10minutes and then the same thing in the left arm. My wife and I laughed it off, wondering what was going off, I also felt unwell and dizzy so we decided to drive back home to Doncaster. My left side felt weak, so after having a couple of drinks he went to bed early. The next morning I was unable to get up properly, so my wife came upstairs and noticed i had the drooped mouth and eye on the left side of my face. I was unsteady and weak on my left leg and left arm, and I had a severe pain behind my left eye socket and was very slurring and unsteady due to dizziness. Luckily my 24year old daughter who had popped in stated that this looked like a stroke, and the paramedics were called and came out and confirmed hospital treatement. I was treated for a stroke and subsequent scans and consultant reports within the next 48hrs states scans have shown white changes on the left hand side of my brain, which should have affected the right hand side, and I had no changes on the right hemisphere to cause the left side issues. A conundrum as one specialist called it. I am on treatment, for the above confirmed illnesses, but ive been told that the stroke type symptoms are due to stress and called functional symptoms and I have been recommended for psychotherapy,but will not be allowed down this road until my depression stabilises. My grown up children, aged 30, 24 and 21 and myself and wife are getting exccedingly worried, as I am having more of these episodes especially over the last 8-10months. These episodes are now as frequent as three times a day and sometimes 7days a week, where I suffer episodes of stroke type symptoms, during my sleep, and twice during the day. These attacks which can be from light to severe attacks are as follows, a light attack feels like an electrical current going through my head to a bad one sometimes precedes with a tingle initially in lefthand side of my face, which then ends with me displaying the symptoms as already described on numerous occasions and literally ends with me sleeping,and my leg and arm feeling like a lead weight, these have been seen by many medical professionals within Royal Hallamshire Sheffield Hospital, Doncaster Hospital, the nurses at the local GP and local CMHT. Once i have recovered ie woken up after a sleep from 2 to 4hrs, i feel sometimes like I am drunk and hungover for a day or two, and i am unable to walk once these attacks happen and i am very weak on my left side leg and arm continuously. A heavy attack has the following symptoms,severe pain behind my left eye socket, dizziness, pain in my head, a drooped mouth and left eye and left handside face, weakness in left arm and left leg, unable to walk, slurred speech, tingling in the lefthand side of face, blurry vision. These attacks whether light, medium or heavy, always ends up with myself being completely fatigued and then my brain forces me to sleep, from 2 to 4 hrs or so. These attacks happen during my sleep, as my wife is unable to wake me up in the morning and when i do finally wake up, i have the telltale left sided face droop etc, they can happen anytime of the day, whilst im sat watching tv etc. sometimes 2 to 3 times a day for upto 7days. My memory is terrible, i am unable to concentrate for long periods,i also lose my balance a lot, painkillers do nothing for the pain in head and eye socket its a nitemare. Ive been tested for bells palsy, ms, but no joy..does anyone have these effects or symptoms after 3 yrs after a stroke? Im under a neurologists at Sheffield Royal, but theyve put it down to functional symptoms due to stress,..we need help or any info from stroke survivors, has anyone suffered or experienced anything like this...ps excuse the length of this. I have also been experiencing in addition to the other symptoms, pain in my bones on my left side and back, especially when i retires to bed at night, to the point where we have had to obtain a loan to purchase, a £3000 hospital type adjustable bed, which has not really alleviated the pain. I have never ever regained the strength in my left leg or arm, this was only a small stroke, due to furred up carotid artery the consultants have informed me. I am constantly in turmoil over this, feeling very depressed and very suicidal on a daily basis, I just need some answers or other experiences and how they have coped or resolved. This is affecting my whole family too, in a depressive way. So 3years ago I had a mild stroke, and since that day, ive been having TIA type attacks near daily. WHY? I need answers and help PLEASE. Just to confirm, my stroke was not a bleed, it was a mild stroke, possibly caused by a clot from the diagnosed furred up carotid artery in my neck. My mri scans show white matter changes in the brain left hemisphere and i have been diagnosed as having cerebral vascular disease,hypertension, angina, diabetes type2, reflux, glaucoma, asthma, depression. I am on medication for my issues as follows,clopidogrel 75mg, amlodopine 10mg, montelukast 10mg, atorvastatin 40mg, irbesartan 300mg,bendroflumethaizide 2.5mg,pregabalin 600mg, metformin 500mg, isosorbide mononitrate 60mg, lansoprazole 30mg. salbutamol and seretide inhalers. Glyceryl nitrate GTN spray for angina. Cocodamol and paracetamol for pain. The odd times,when im not suffering with these attacks, my left hand side arm and leg are weak, but not as weak as when i have the attack. However after an attack, my limbs are weak for a day after. In addition i still get the pain in the head or pain just behind my left eye socket, during an attack and also when im not suffering an attack that day.I take painkillers but unfortunately the doctors are unable to give me anything else for the pain, due to my medication, which could cause internal bleeding. I do get dizzy spells when i have attack and also when im not having an attack. However im only slurring,or mumbling during an attack, my speach is clear when im not suffering attacks however my wife and children have stated that sometimes i say the wrong words or speak sometimes putting the wrong words that im trying to say, in the wrong part of a sentence, which they find amusing, and i find frustrating and angry with myself for doing that, but i dont have slurred speech outside an attack. My memory short term is terrible and i struggle to concentrate ie i use to enjoy watching football,but now struggle to watch a full football match. My vision has deteriorated since the stroke, and my left eyesight is terrible, i have just been diagnosed with glaucoma and diabetes, and they are looking into my eyesight issues with no joy. I am under a psychiatrist for depression, but nothing seems to be working for me, im on medication, ive been tried on different medication over the 8years and im currently on 40mg of fluoxetine a day. My depression seems deeper since the stroke and i am struggling daily. I feel like im a pain to the medical profession, and as a previous management and business troubleshooter and consultant who has worked in performance and productive environments and with working knowledge of performance measures within the national health service, i feel im a problem to performance and productivity figures as i am still on the consultants caseload. However these are just my feelings. I believe the medics feel that the current issues are all in my head and they have called it functional symptoms caused by stress. My wife and children and finally myself, is starting to think theyre wrong on this, as my attacks are increasing and they seem to take something out of me each time the attacks happen. The only person i could excuse from this statement is my local GP, who is understanding and very GOOD I need help and answers and im praying loads, please help someone, i feel very suicidal..Doing this is very hard mentally as i am constantly drained,it has taken me 3 weeks on and off to try and compile this email with the help of my wife. Thanks Kind Regards Dave and Nicola

Hi my name is Dave. I am needing any help feedback, as to whether anyone else seems to have or have had recurring stroke like symptoms, 3years after a small stroke. 8years ago, at 39 yrs old I was a senior manager at a large uk ftse company, I then had a massive nervous breakdown. This was due to 20years of 15hour day 6days a weeks workaholic lifestyle, in business management and also running my own parttime business as well as working for private and public companies. I was and still suffering with hypertension, high cholesterol, and abnormal heart electrical QT wave signal diagnosed when I was 24years old, due to constantly having heart pain, I underwent stress tests which I couldnt complete and after having an angiogram,it was found that under stress, my heart arteries and blood vessels constrict severely causing me pain. All this eventually with my high work ethic, caused me to have a breakdown 8years ago, I then was unable to work and fell into severe depression. 3years ago whilst having a nice stroll near the beach at cleethorpes,with my wife i experienced loss of feeeling in my left leg for approx 10minutes and then the same thing in the left arm. My wife and I laughed it off, wondering what was going off, I also felt unwell and dizzy so we decided to drive back home to Doncaster. My left side felt weak, so after having a couple of drinks he went to bed early. The next morning I was unable to get up properly, so my wife came upstairs and noticed i had the drooped mouth and eye on the left side of my face. I was unsteady and weak on my left leg and left arm, and I had a severe pain behind my left eye socket and was very slurring and unsteady due to dizziness. Luckily my 24year old daughter who had popped in stated that this looked like a stroke, and the paramedics were called and came out and confirmed hospital treatement. I was treated for a stroke and subsequent scans and consultant reports within the next 48hrs states scans have shown white changes on the left hand side of my brain, which should have affected the right hand side, and I had no changes on the right hemisphere to cause the left side issues. A conundrum as one specialist called it. I am on treatment, for the above confirmed illnesses, but ive been told that the stroke type symptoms are due to stress and called functional symptoms and I have been recommended for psychotherapy,but will not be allowed down this road until my depression stabilises. My grown up children, aged 30, 24 and 21 and myself and wife are getting exccedingly worried, as I am having more of these episodes especially over the last 8-10months. These episodes are now as frequent as three times a day and sometimes 7days a week, where I suffer episodes of stroke type symptoms, during my sleep, and twice during the day. These attacks which can be from light to severe attacks are as follows, a light attack feels like an electrical current going through my head to a bad one sometimes precedes with a tingle initially in lefthand side of my face, which then ends with me displaying the symptoms as already described on numerous occasions and literally ends with me sleeping,and my leg and arm feeling like a lead weight, these have been seen by many medical professionals within Royal Hallamshire Sheffield Hospital, Doncaster Hospital, the nurses at the local GP and local CMHT. Once i have recovered ie woken up after a sleep from 2 to 4hrs, i feel sometimes like I am drunk and hungover for a day or two, and i am unable to walk once these attacks happen and i am very weak on my left side leg and arm continuously. A heavy attack has the following symptoms,severe pain behind my left eye socket, dizziness, pain in my head, a drooped mouth and left eye and left handside face, weakness in left arm and left leg, unable to walk, slurred speech, tingling in the lefthand side of face, blurry vision. These attacks whether light, medium or heavy, always ends up with myself being completely fatigued and then my brain forces me to sleep, from 2 to 4 hrs or so. These attacks happen during my sleep, as my wife is unable to wake me up in the morning and when i do finally wake up, i have the telltale left sided face droop etc, they can happen anytime of the day, whilst im sat watching tv etc. sometimes 2 to 3 times a day for upto 7days. My memory is terrible, i am unable to concentrate for long periods,i also lose my balance a lot, painkillers do nothing for the pain in head and eye socket its a nitemare. Ive been tested for bells palsy, ms, but no joy..does anyone have these effects or symptoms after 3 yrs after a stroke? Im under a neurologists at Sheffield Royal, but theyve put it down to functional symptoms due to stress,..we need help or any info from stroke survivors, has anyone suffered or experienced anything like this...ps excuse the length of this. I have also been experiencing in addition to the other symptoms, pain in my bones on my left side and back, especially when i retires to bed at night, to the point where we have had to obtain a loan to purchase, a £3000 hospital type adjustable bed, which has not really alleviated the pain. I have never ever regained the strength in my left leg or arm, this was only a small stroke, due to furred up carotid artery the consultants have informed me. I am constantly in turmoil over this, feeling very depressed and very suicidal on a daily basis, I just need some answers or other experiences and how they have coped or resolved. This is affecting my whole family too, in a depressive way. So 3years ago I had a mild stroke, and since that day, ive been having TIA type attacks near daily. WHY? I need answers and help PLEASE. Just to confirm, my stroke was not a bleed, it was a mild stroke, possibly caused by a clot from the diagnosed furred up carotid artery in my neck. My mri scans show white matter changes in the brain left hemisphere and i have been diagnosed as having cerebral vascular disease,hypertension, angina, diabetes type2, reflux, glaucoma, asthma, depression. I am on medication for my issues as follows,clopidogrel 75mg, amlodopine 10mg, montelukast 10mg, atorvastatin 40mg, irbesartan 300mg,bendroflumethaizide 2.5mg,pregabalin 600mg, metformin 500mg, isosorbide mononitrate 60mg, lansoprazole 30mg. salbutamol and seretide inhalers. Glyceryl nitrate GTN spray for angina. Cocodamol and paracetamol for pain. The odd times,when im not suffering with these attacks, my left hand side arm and leg are weak, but not as weak as when i have the attack. However after an attack, my limbs are weak for a day after. In addition i still get the pain in the head or pain just behind my left eye socket, during an attack and also when im not suffering an attack that day.I take painkillers but unfortunately the doctors are unable to give me anything else for the pain, due to my medication, which could cause internal bleeding. I do get dizzy spells when i have attack and also when im not having an attack. However im only slurring,or mumbling during an attack, my speach is clear when im not suffering attacks however my wife and children have stated that sometimes i say the wrong words or speak sometimes putting the wrong words that im trying to say, in the wrong part of a sentence, which they find amusing, and i find frustrating and angry with myself for doing that, but i dont have slurred speech outside an attack. My memory short term is terrible and i struggle to concentrate ie i use to enjoy watching football,but now struggle to watch a full football match. My vision has deteriorated since the stroke, and my left eyesight is terrible, i have just been diagnosed with glaucoma and diabetes, and they are looking into my eyesight issues with no joy. I am under a psychiatrist for depression, but nothing seems to be working for me, im on medication, ive been tried on different medication over the 8years and im currently on 40mg of fluoxetine a day. My depression seems deeper since the stroke and i am struggling daily. I feel like im a pain to the medical profession, and as a previous management and business troubleshooter and consultant who has worked in performance and productive environments and with working knowledge of performance measures within the national health service, i feel im a problem to performance and productivity figures as i am still on the consultants caseload. However these are just my feelings. I believe the medics feel that the current issues are all in my head and they have called it functional symptoms caused by stress. My wife and children and finally myself, is starting to think theyre wrong on this, as my attacks are increasing and they seem to take something out of me each time the attacks happen. The only person i could excuse from this statement is my local GP, who is understanding and very GOOD I need help and answers and im praying loads, please help someone, i feel very suicidal..Doing this is very hard mentally as i am constantly drained,it has taken me 3 weeks on and off to try and compile this email with the help of my wife. Thanks Kind Regards Dave and Nicola -------------------------------------------------- Admin note: Would members please reply on the following thread - http://www.behindthegray.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?7836-Help-Has-any1-got-stroketype-symptoms-3yrs-after-initial-stroke

3years ago I had a mild stroke, and since that day, ive been having TIA type attacks near daily. WHY? I need answers and help PLEASE. Hi my name is Dave. I am requiring any help feedback, as to whether anyone else seems to have or have had recurring stroke like symptoms, 3years after a small stroke. With the help of my wife and others, I have compiled this. 8years ago, at the age of 39 yrs. I was a high flying energetic senior manager within a large uk-ftse. company, I had worked for many corporations in a senior position very successfully, however I suffered a massive nervous breakdown. This was due to 20years 15hour day 6/7days a week workaholic lifestyle, in senior business management and also running my own part-time business as well as working for private and public companies. I suffered and am still suffering with hypertension, high cholesterol, and abnormal electrical QT wave diagnosed when I was 24years old. Due to constantly having heart pain, I underwent stress tests which I was unable to complete, after having an angiogram, it was then found that under stress, my heart arteries and blood vessels constrict severely causing me pain. All this eventually with my high work ethic, caused me to have a nervous breakdown, I then was unable to work and I fell into severe depression, all this was been treated with medication as belpw. Then 3years ago whilst having a nice stroll near the beach at Cleethorpes, with my wife, I experienced loss of feeling in my left leg for approx. 10minutes and then the same thing in the left arm. My wife and I laughed it off, wondering what was going off, I also felt unwell and dizzy so we decided to drive back home to Doncaster. My left side felt weak, so after having a couple of drinks we went to bed early. The next morning I was unable to wake up and get up properly, so my wife came upstairs and noticed that the left hand side of my mouth and eye had drooped on the left side of my face. I was very dizzy and unsteady and weak on my left leg and left arm, and I had this very severe pain behind my left eye socket, and my wife states that I was slurring and unsteady due to dizziness. Luckily my 24year old daughter who had just popped in mentioned to my wife, that this looked like a stroke, the paramedics who came out were shocked that on inspection I had not gone to the hospital for treatment the day before, they immediately took me into Doncaster Royal Infirmary for hospital treatment. I was treated for a stroke and subsequent CT, MRI scans and the consultant reports within the first 48hrs states as follows; ‘‘ This gentleman’s symptoms suggestive of ataxic hemiparesis, would be in keeping with a lacunar syndrome although the white matter changes in the MRI are more predominant in the left hemisphere than the right and I cannot identify any clear brain stem lesion on review on the PACS today. Undoubtedly there is some functional overlay component. This gentleman’s presentation is in keeping with his significant history of depression. His signs would be in keeping with a lacunar stroke and I note that carotid dopplers show carotid atheromatous disease in the asymptomatic artery, Therefore it is entirely reasonable for him to be on appropriate vascular preventative therapy. He is aware of persistent sensory deficit which is causing him anxiety.’’ I have been diagnosed as having cerebral vascular disease, hypertension, angina, diabetes type2, reflux, glaucoma, asthma, depression. I am on medication for my above health issues as follows, Clopidogrel 75mg, Amlodopine 10mg, Montelukast 10mg, Atorvastatin 40mg, Irbesartan 300mg, Bendroflumethaizide 2.5mg, Pregabalin 600mg, Metformin 500mg, Isosorbide Mononitrate 60mg, Lansoprazole 30mg. Salbutamol and Seretide inhalers. Glyceryl Nitrate GTN spray for angina. Cocodamol and Paracetamol for pain management. However from the moment I had this mild stroke I have been getting recurring stroke like symptoms, for now 3years after. Initially my left leg had a small shake uncontrollably, however since being prescribed Pregabalin in the 1stsix months, I have not hardly had a recurrence, just slight shakes now and then. These episodic attacks are now as frequent as three times a day and sometimes 7days a week, where I suffer episodes of stroke type symptoms, during my sleep, and twice during the day. These attacks which can be from light to severe attacks are as follows, a light attack feels like an electrical current going through my head and dizziness, and then a bad attack sometimes precedes with a tingling numb-like feeling in left-hand side of my face, which then ends with me displaying the symptoms as already described on numerous occasions and literally ends with me sleeping heavily, and my leg and arm feels like a lead weight, these have been seen by many medical professionals within Royal Hallamshire Sheffield Hospital, Doncaster Hospital, the nurses at the local GP and local CMHT. A heavy attack has the following symptoms, dizziness, pain in my head, a drooped mouth and left eye and left hand-side face, weakness in left arm and left leg, unable to walk, slurred speech, tingling in the left-hand side of face, blurry vision. These attacks whether light, medium or heavy, always ends up with myself being completely fatigued, confused with dizziness and then my brain forces me to sleep, from 2 to 4 hrs. or so. These attacks happen during my sleep, as my wife is unable to wake me up in the morning and when i do finally wake up, i have the tell-tale left sided face droop etc, they can happen anytime of the day, whilst I am sat watching tv etc. sometimes 2 to 3 times a day for up-to 7days. My memory is terrible, i am unable to concentrate for long periods, i also lose my balance a lot, and I sometimes have a very severe pain, behind my left eye socket, and this does not go away with painkillers. However after an attack, my limbs are weak for a day after. Once i have recovered ie woken up after a sleep from 2 to 4hrs, i feels sometimes like I am drunk and very hung-over for a day or two, I am completely washed out, with varying pains, headaches and i am unable to walk once these attacks happen and i am very weak on my left side leg and arm daily and on-going. I get dizzy spells during an attack and also when im not having an attack. Also I am slurring, or mumbling during an attack, my speech is clear when I am not suffering attacks however my wife and children have stated that sometimes i say the wrong words or whilst speaking sometimes put the wrong words that im trying to say, in the wrong part of a sentence, which they find amusing, and i find frustrating and angry with myself for doing that, but i do not have slurred speech outside an attack unless I am tired. My vision has deteriorated since the stroke, and my left eyesight is terrible, i have just been diagnosed with glaucoma and diabetes and early stages of diabetic retinopathy, however the medics are looking into my eyesight issues but with no joy. I have also been experiencing in addition to the other symptoms, pain in my bones on my left side and back, especially when i retires to bed at night, to the point where we have had to obtain a loan to purchase, a £3000 hospital type adjustable bed, which has not really alleviated the pain. I am under a psychiatrist for depression, but nothing seems to be working for me, I am on medication, I have been tried on different medication over the 8years and im currently on 40mg of fluoxetine a day. My depression seems deeper since the stroke and i am struggling daily. Im under a neurologists at Sheffield Royal, but they have put it down to functional symptoms due to stress, I have been recommended for psychotherapy, but will not be allowed down this road until my depression stabilises, we need help or any information from stroke survivors, have you suffered anything like this... I feel like im a pain to the medical profession, and as a previous troubleshooter in management and business, in working as a consultant in performance and productive environments and with working knowledge of performance measures within the national health service, i feel I am a problem to performance and productivity figures as i am still on the consultants caseload. However these are just my feelings, and does not reflect on anyone’s professional expertise. My local GP, is understanding and very GOOD at helping me emotionally and with medication to control my symptoms. Ive been tested for bells palsy, ms, but no joy, does anyone have these effects or symptoms after 3 yrs after a stroke? I have never ever regained the strength in my left leg or arm, this was only a small stroke, due to clotting from furred up carotid artery the consultants have informed me. I am constantly in turmoil over this, feeling very depressed and even suicidal on a daily basis, My stroke was not a bleed, it was a mild stroke, possibly caused by a clot from the diagnosed furred up carotid artery in my neck. I just need some answers or other experiences and how they have coped or resolved. My grown up children, aged 30, 24 and 21 and myself and wife are getting exceedingly worried, as I am having more of these episodes especially over the last 8-10months. This is affecting my whole family too, in a depressive way. I need help and answers and im praying for answers, please help someone, all this makes me feel very suicidal. Doing this email is very hard mentally as i am constantly drained, it has taken me 3 weeks on and off to try and compile this email with the help of my wife and others. Thanks Kind Regards Dave and Nicola