Home Medical Care and Equipment

[Tommy T.]

23 minutes ago, Mike J said:

I had a stroke in February of 2017. 

My God, Mike! That must have been an awful and scary experience. Thank you so much for sharing it here. Between your and Jack's post I, personally, have learned more about strokes than I ever knew before. The first-hand experience makes it very clear about the signs to watch for and the effects. Glad you are okay now.

5 hours ago, nor cal mike said:

A couple of years ago I came across a device called “Kardia mobile”.

Thanks for sharing that, Mike! I don't have your issue, but may look into that any because it is not expensive and one more tool to monitor my ageing health is never a bad idea.

[Tommy T.]

Bleeding and Cuts

The average human has about 4.5-5.5 litres of blood in circulation. If you get a serious cut, you can "bleed out" within just a few minutes if it is an artery and not treated correctly and immediately. Not meaning to scare you, but maybe get your attention. At least with me, I am not as steady on my feet as when I was young and spry. And I cut myself also just about every time I do any project. I used to laugh on the yacht because, if I bled during my work, then the project would turn out okay - it was like my personal sacrifice. If I didn't bleed, then it didn't work out okay...karma? superstition? yeah...maybe...

The warm and moist climate here is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria - both on land and at sea. Try a Google search about bacteria found in one drop of sea water and you will be shocked by what you read. So you also need to treat ANY cut, no matter how small, seriously. I know of a sailor who accidentally stuck himself a tiny bit on his leg with a fish hook. Within 3 days he had a raging infection and ended up being rescue airlifted for emergency treatment. He did keep his leg, fortunately.

Even the slightest open skin - cut, abrasion, athlete's foot - provides an entry for leptospirosis bacteria to enter your body. It is carried by rats and is commonly found (along with E. coli and other nasties) in flood water here. It is deadly. I have read articles online about infections occurring in the flooding in Luzon and other locations recently.

The equipment you might keep in your med kit at home (and even a small version in your car?) for skin wound care should include these items. Read online or consult with a med professional about use if you are not familiar:

Alcohol - not Tanduay, I mean isopropyl alcohol, the highest percentage you can find. It is used to disinfect wounds, skin anything. It can also be used to cool someone down who has fever as a rub.

Hydrogen Peroxide - another antiseptic used to clean wounds.

Betadine solution or equivalent - this is an antiseptic that is applied to open wounds after cleaning and before applying dressings.

Tribiotic ointment or equivalent - there are three antibiotics (as the name implies) in this. Each one works against different types of bacteria. It should be applied on small open wounds before putting on dressing to prevent infection and promote rapid healing. It comes in cream and ointments - I prefer ointment because it stays in place better and makes a bit of a barrier to dirt and bacteria from entering a wound.

Q-Tips or Ear Buds - same thing... You all know what these are. They are really good for applying any of the liquids or ointment or cream cleansers or topical antibiotics. Just keep some in a new Zip-Loc bag to keep sterile.

Band-Aids - I suggest a good selection of different sizes to take care of small cuts. I prefer the cloth type because they seem to adhere better than the original plastic type.

Gauze dressings - These come in different shapes and sizes and sometimes in rolls. These are for larger cuts or abrasions and usually are held in place by adhesive tape or cravats.

Feminine napkins - These are ideal "battle dressings" for serious cuts with a lot of bleeding because they are so absorbent. Have your significant other buy the thickest and largest available and keep maybe 6 on hand in your kit.

Cravats - A cravat is simply a strip of cloth (bed sheet cotton or linen is ideal) that is not stretchy. They are used to bind dressings to wounds and also to tie splints or other stiff items to broken limbs. Try to make a collection of several that are maybe 3-4 inches wide by 1/2 meter long and several that are the same width but 1 meter long. They are good because they are wide and spread any pressure over large areas. They can also be used as tourniquets.

Adhesive tape, waterproof tape - use adhesive tape to attach dressings to wounds - it is sterile and relatively easy to remove. Waterproof tape is just that and is good if you are going to go swimming, fishing or diving or just out in bad weather.

Flashlight - have a powerful, bright one set aside for medical use - with some spare batteries.

Scissors - it's a good idea to have a nice set available to cut cravats, clothing, dressings, tape.

If you do not attend professional first responder training, at least go online and check out how to treat bleeding - applying pressure, using multiple dressings on top of each other if necessary, pressure points, tourniquets. There are probably some sites with itemized lists that you can download similar to what Jack displayed regarding stroke symptoms.

If you have a cut or abrasion and it turns red, swells, feels hot to the touch, even after applying topical antibiotics, you need to see a doctor or nurse for treatment - possibly oral antibiotics. If you have a wound on an arm or leg and see a red streak appear that is spreading toward your torso, seek medical care immediately! That is a sign of sepsis - blood poisoning - and can kill quickly if not treated.

If you have a cut, it is okay and encouraged to let it bleed a bit as this helps flush out any contaminants from the wound.

If you are outside when injured, or it is in contact with dirty or rusty metal, you might think about getting a TDAP (tetanus booster which comes combined with boosters for other illnesses) shot if it has been 10 or more years since the last one, or you don't remember. Having an extra one won't hurt you, but the cost might. I got one in Manila earlier this year and it was P5,000! But I play in dirt, cut myself all the time and would rather be safe.

A final reminder - If you have a wound that is bleeding, you should avoid taking any aspirin for pain as it will thin the blood and make it more difficult to staunch the flow. I believe ibuprofen has the same effect but not sure.

I am sure I have forgotten some things or made some errors here, so please correct me or add your information or experience.

Here are pics of some of the items described above. Many are old and come from USA or Australia - I do not know what is available here, but I assume most of these things are but just with different names or packaging...

Edited September 10, 2019 by Tommy T.
Fix spelling and additional comment

[GeoffH]

I have a Kardia single channel Bluetooth ECG unit, it works well for what it is but it only diagnoses attrial fibrilation.  Any other 'not normal' rythyms will come back as 'unclassified'.  You can email the ECG to an online doctor from the app but it costs you extra. 

It did come in useful for me, I was experiencing chest pain and sent an ECG away, it came back marked 'brady cardia' see doctor.  It did and my GP changed my medication and that problem went away.

It isn't a substitute for a full ECG or a doctor but it can be useful.

Before taking ECG and just taken ECG photos below.

 

[Tommy T.]

13 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

I have a Kardia single channel Bluetooth ECG unit, it works well for what it is but it only diagnoses attrial fibrilation. 

You said before that this unit cost you something like US$100? If so, it seems well worth it.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Tommy T.

[GeoffH]

Yes something like that, I don’t remember the exact amount.

Kardia have a 6 channel ECG in development which will be much more capable but  I’m not sure how far off being available it is.

Edited September 10, 2019 by GeoffH

[RBM]

2 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Bleeding and Cuts

The average human has about 4.5-5.5 litres of blood in circulation. If you get a serious cut, you can "bleed out" within just a few minutes if it is an artery and not treated correctly and immediately. Not meaning to scare you, but maybe get your attention. At least with me, I am not as steady on my feet as when I was young and spry. And I cut myself also just about every time I do any project. I used to laugh on the yacht because, if I bled during my work, then the project would turn out okay - it was like my personal sacrifice. If I didn't bleed, then it didn't work out okay...karma? superstition? yeah...maybe...

The warm and moist climate here is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria - both on land and at sea. Try a Google search about bacteria found in one drop of sea water and you will be shocked by what you read. So you also need to treat ANY cut, no matter how small, seriously. I know of a sailor who accidentally stuck himself a tiny bit on his leg with a fish hook. Within 3 days he had a raging infection and ended up being rescue airlifted for emergency treatment. He did keep his leg, fortunately.

Even the slightest open skin - cut, abrasion, athlete's foot - provides an entry for leptospirosis bacteria to enter your body. It is carried by rats and is commonly found (along with E. coli and other nasties) in flood water here. It is deadly. I have read articles online about infections occurring in the flooding in Luzon and other locations recently.

The equipment you might keep in your med kit at home (and even a small version in your car?) should include these items. Read online or consult with a med professional about use if you are not familiar:

Alcohol - not Tanduay, I mean isopropyl alcohol, the highest percentage you can find. It is used to disinfect wounds, skin anything. It can also be used to cool someone down who has fever as a rub.

Hydrogen Peroxide - another antiseptic used to clean wounds.

Betadine solution or equivalent - this is an antiseptic that is applied to open wounds after cleaning and before applying dressings.

Tribiotic ointment or equivalent - there are three antibiotics (as the name implies) in this. Each one works against different types of bacteria. It should be applied on small open wounds before putting on dressing to prevent infection and promote rapid healing. It comes in cream and ointments - I prefer ointment because it stays in place better and makes a bit of a barrier to dirt and bacteria from entering a wound.

Q-Tips or Ear Buds - same thing... You all know what these are. They are really good for applying any of the liquids or ointment or cream cleansers or topical antibiotics. Just keep some in a new Zip-Loc bag to keep sterile.

Band-Aids - I suggest a good selection of different sizes to take care of small cuts. I prefer the cloth type because they seem to adhere better than the original plastic type.

Gauze dressings - These come in different shapes and sizes and sometimes in rolls. These are for larger cuts or abrasions and usually are held in place by adhesive tape or cravats.

Feminine napkins - These are ideal "battle dressings" for serious cuts with a lot of bleeding because they are so absorbent. Have your significant other buy the thickest and largest available and keep maybe 6 on hand in your kit.

Cravats - A cravat is simply a strip of cloth (bed sheet cotton or linen is ideal) that is not stretchy. They are used to bind dressings to wounds and also to tie splints or other stiff items to broken limbs. Try to make a collection of several that are maybe 3-4 inches wide by 1/2 meter long and several that are the same width but 1 meter long. They are good because they are wide and spread any pressure over large areas. They can also be used as tourniquets.

Adhesive tape, waterproof tape - use adhesive tape to attach dressings to wounds - it is sterile and relatively easy to remove. Waterproof tape is just that and is good if you are going to go swimming, fishing or diving or just out in bad weather.

Flashlight - have a powerful, bright one set aside for medical use - with some spare batteries.

Scissors - it's a good idea to have a nice set available to cut cravats, clothing, dressings, tape.

If you do not attend professional first responder training, at least go online and check out how to treat bleeding - applying pressure, using multiple dressings on top of each other if necessary, pressure points, tourniquets. There are probably some sites with itemized lists that you can download similar to what Jack displayed regarding stroke symptoms.

If you have a cut or abrasion and it turns red, swells, feels hot to the touch, even after applying topical antibiotics, you need to see a doctor or nurse for treatment - possibly oral antibiotics. If you have a wound on an arm or leg and see a red streak appear that is spreading toward your torso, seek medical care immediately! That is a sign of sepsis - blood poisoning - and can kill quickly if not treated.

I am sure I have forgotten some things or made some errors here, so please correct me or add your information or experience.

Here are pics of some of the items described above. Many are old and come from USA or Australia - I do not know what is available here, but I assume most of these things are but just with different names or packaging...

Totally agree Tommy, especially the Betadine which can be brought in a spray which what I have.

Just add here any wound no matter how tiny below the knee is extremely subsectable to infection. When ever it happens I treat the area 4 times a day to ensure always clean and stop infection.

[nor cal mike]

Yes Tom,  the device cost $99 and the additional monitoring is $99 yearly. However you don’t have to purchase the additional monitoring. If you send the ekg for additional scrutiny, I believe there is a charge of 9 or 10 bucks. I find the cost minimal compared to the potential for avoiding a problem such as Geff was able to do.

[Tommy T.]

Since several members have mentioned some medical test equipment and there was discussion about blood issues, I will offer up another piece of equipment that might be helpful to some - I just learned this about from L.

She is in charge of the clinic at her high school so tends to students and teachers alongside a RN in an on-call basis. Last week there was a day when she was feeling poorly and went to the clinic for herself. Chest pain, tired, weak. She used the equipment there on herself including an oximeter. (Fortunately, she was okay - we think it was maybe a panic attack brought on by stress - and her symptoms subsided after a rest). I had never heard of this, so she described it to me. I found this article online that explains it very well.

I also did a quick price  and availability check - for USA only - and found that they range in price from about US$40 up to and over $100 at Walgreens, depending on brand and features. For what this can tell you, it seems well worth twice the cost, I think. Hopefully they are available here in pharmacies - I definitely want to get one of these as she suffers from a bit of anemia, sometimes asthma and is always concerned about her heart, just because she worries about lots of things.

This might be something members with known or suspected heart issues might want to consider too?

Pulse Oximetry

Overview
Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive and painless test that measures your oxygen saturation level, or the oxygen levels in your blood. It can rapidly detect even small changes in how efficiently oxygen is being carried to the extremities furthest from the heart, including the legs and the arms.

The pulse oximeter is a small, clip-like device that attaches to a body part, like toes or an earlobe. It’s most commonly put on a finger, and it’s often used in a critical care setting like emergency rooms or hospitals. Some doctors, such as pulmonologists, may use it in office.

Purpose and uses
The purpose of pulse oximetry is to check how well your heart is pumping oxygen through your body.

It may be used to monitor the health of individuals with any type of condition that can affect blood oxygen levels, especially while they’re in the hospital. These conditions include:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
asthma
pneumonia
lung cancer
anemia
heart attack or heart failure
congenital heart defects
There are a number of different common use cases for pulse oximetry, including:

to assess how well a new lung medication is working
to evaluate whether someone needs help breathing
to evaluate how helpful a ventilator is
to monitor oxygen levels during or after surgical procedures that require sedation
to determine how effective supplemental oxygen therapy is, especially when treatment is new
to assess someone’s ability to tolerate increased physical activity
to evaluate whether someone momentarily stops breathing while sleeping — like in cases of sleep apnea — during a sleep study
How it works
During a pulse oximetry reading, a small clamp-like device is placed on a finger, earlobe, or toe. Small beams of light pass through the blood in the finger, measuring the amount of oxygen. It does this by measuring changes of light absorption in oxygenated or deoxygenated blood. This is a painless process.

The pulse oximeter will thus be able to tell you your oxygen saturation levels along with your heart rate.

Procedure steps
Pulse oximetry may be used in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you have a pulse oximeter for home use.

The pulse oximetry process is as follows:

Most commonly, a clip-like device will be placed on your finger, earlobe, or toe. You may feel a small amount of pressure, but there is no pain or pinching. In some cases, a small probe may be placed on your finger or forehead with a sticky adhesive. You may be asked to remove your fingernail polish if it’s being attached to a finger.
You’ll keep the probe on for as long as needed to monitor your pulse and oxygen saturation. When monitoring physical activity capabilities, this will be during the extent of the exercise and during the recovery period. During surgery, the probe will be attached beforehand and removed once you’re awake and no longer under supervision. Sometimes, it will only be used to take a single reading very quickly.
Once the test is over, the clip or probe will be removed.
Pulse oximetry readings
Pulse oximetry is typically a fairly accurate test. This is especially true when using high-quality equipment found in most medical offices or hospital settings. It consistently provides results within a 2-percent difference either way of what it truly is. If your reading was 82 percent, for example, your true oxygen saturation level may be anywhere from 80 to 84 percent. However, the quality of the waveform and assessment of the individual must be considered. Factors such as movement, temperature, or nail polish can impact the accuracy.

Typically, more than 89 percent of your blood should be carrying oxygen. This is the oxygen saturation level needed to keep your cells — and your body — healthy. While having an oxygen saturation below this temporarily is not believed to cause damage, repeat or consistent instances of lowered oxygen saturation levels may be damaging.

An oxygen saturation level of 95 percent is considered normal for most healthy individuals. A level of 92 percent indicates potential hypoxemia, or deficiency in oxygen reaching tissues in the body.

What’s next?
Once the test is over, your care provider will have the readings available immediately. This will help them determine if other testing or treatment is necessary. If you’re evaluating how successful your oxygen supplementation therapy is, for example, a reading that’s still on the low side might indicate the need for more oxygen.

Your healthcare provider will be able to tell you what the next steps are. If you’re using pulse oximetry at home, they’ll let you know how often to take your readings and what to do if they go above or below certain levels.

Takeaway
Pulse oximetry is a quick, noninvasive, and completely painless test. It comes with no risks aside from potential skin irritation from the adhesive used in some types of probes

Edited September 10, 2019 by Tommy T.
Add more comment. And fixed a dangling participle.

[Arizona Kid]

8 hours ago, Mike J said:

I had a stroke in February of 2017.  I had been taking a "baby aspirin" daily for many years.  I was also on BP medicine and statins for very high cholesterol levels.

Tuesday - It was about 8:00 pm and I was reclining in the bedroom and reading a book.  My throat/mouth started to feel "odd", a little like what you get if you have had novocaine at the dentist.  I sat up and reached for the water bottle beside the bed and was not able to  use my right hand to grab the bottle.   I was fairly certain at that time that I was having a stroke.  I was able to walk, so I went into the living room where my wife was working at the computer.  I had lost the ability to speak so took both her hands in mine and squeezed, hoping she would know the strength was gone in the right.  No luck, so I pantomimed that I wanted to write.  She gave me a pencil and I scrawled on a piece of paper with my left "STOKE".  She said, "you are having a stroke?".  I nod and lead her back to my bedside table, and open the drawer.  Take out the aspirin and hold up two fingers.  She gets the message, and tears two out of the pack.  I chew and am able to swallow them with a little water, but have difficulty with swallowing and water dribbles down my chin.  I write on the paper, "GAY".  Guy is our neighbor and can drive.  No answer from Guy.  I decide that we need to go to the closest clinic in Badian, about 30 minutes away.  The word "Badian" is no longer in my vocabulary, it is like it was never there!  I scrawl the word "SOUTH" on the paper.  My wife says go to South General in Cebu City?  I shake my head no and point.  She says "go to Badian?"  I nod yes.  We arrive at Badian clinic about 8:45 and they have no beds.  The nurse gives me a single capsule that I am able to get down with water.  We stay there for awhile and I write on the paper "HOME".  We get arrive home about midnight.  My speech is back a little bit, I slur my words and speak very very slowly.  Some words are not available.  I still cannot use my right hand/arm.  My wife says a final prayer for me and I go to sleep.

Wednesday - In the morning my speech is mostly back to normal, but the right hand/arm are still weak.  By the end of the day my speech is normal,  hand is much better, but I want to protect it  - holding it close to my body and mostly using my left hand.

Thursday - Feeling fine, like the stroke never happened.  Then in the afternoon, I have a TIA as described by @Jack in his post.  My right thumb went numb, followed by the index finger, then the middle finger.  It lasts about one minute.

Friday - another TIA in the right hand, same as the day before.

Monday - At Chong Hua we see a neurologist and I tell him I had a stroke last week.  He smiles in that "I am the doctor and will decide" way that doctors have and asks me tell him what happened.  I do that and he says, yes you had a stroke.  He does the doctor thing checking reflexes, etc.  He says I need a CT brain scan to check for damage.   We get the scan in the afternoon, but it cannot be read until Tuesday and results not available until after 5:00 pm. 

Wednesday - Back to see the neurologist and he says there is no permanent damage.   He tells me the daily aspirin, plus the two I took following the stroke, almost certainly were the major factor in lessening the severity of the stroke.

My blood pressure meds are now taken twice a day instead of once a day.  In addition I take a blood thinning agent called Clopidogrel.   I continue to take statins. 

Recent studies have shown that the daily aspirin regimen should only be followed by those who have a history, or at risk of, heart disease and/or stroke.  It has been determined that the risk of stomach problems outweighs the potential benefits.  I would encourage everyone to do some research and/or speak to your doctor about daily aspirin use.  If you decide against a daily aspirin, you should keep some handy if needed.  I carry several in my "man purse" when out and still have some beside the bed.  If required after a stroke, chew them prior to swallowing so they get into your system quicker.

 

Sounds scary as hell!! Hope the recovery is good.

[nor cal mike]

9 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Since several members have mentioned some medical test equipment and there was discussion about blood issues, I will offer up another piece of equipment that might be helpful to some - I just learned this about from L.

She is in charge of the clinic at her high school so tends to students and teachers alongside a RN in an on-call basis. Last week there was a day when she was feeling poorly and went to the clinic for herself. Chest pain, tired, weak. She used the equipment there on herself including an oximeter. (Fortunately, she was okay - we think it was maybe a panic attack brought on by stress - and her symptoms subsided after a rest). I had never heard of this, so she described it to me. I found this article online that explains it very well.

I also did a quick price  and availability check - for USA only - and found that they range in price from about US$40 up to and over $100 at Walgreens, depending on brand and features. For what this can tell you, it seems well worth twice the cost, I think. Hopefully they are available here in pharmacies - I definitely want to get one of these as she suffers from a bit of anemia, sometimes asthma and is always concerned about her heart, just because she worries about lots of things.

This might be something members with known or suspected heart issues might want to consider too?

Pulse Oximetry

Overview
Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive and painless test that measures your oxygen saturation level, or the oxygen levels in your blood. It can rapidly detect even small changes in how efficiently oxygen is being carried to the extremities furthest from the heart, including the legs and the arms.

The pulse oximeter is a small, clip-like device that attaches to a body part, like toes or an earlobe. It’s most commonly put on a finger, and it’s often used in a critical care setting like emergency rooms or hospitals. Some doctors, such as pulmonologists, may use it in office.

Purpose and uses
The purpose of pulse oximetry is to check how well your heart is pumping oxygen through your body.

It may be used to monitor the health of individuals with any type of condition that can affect blood oxygen levels, especially while they’re in the hospital. These conditions include:

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
asthma
pneumonia
lung cancer
anemia
heart attack or heart failure
congenital heart defects
There are a number of different common use cases for pulse oximetry, including:

to assess how well a new lung medication is working
to evaluate whether someone needs help breathing
to evaluate how helpful a ventilator is
to monitor oxygen levels during or after surgical procedures that require sedation
to determine how effective supplemental oxygen therapy is, especially when treatment is new
to assess someone’s ability to tolerate increased physical activity
to evaluate whether someone momentarily stops breathing while sleeping — like in cases of sleep apnea — during a sleep study
How it works
During a pulse oximetry reading, a small clamp-like device is placed on a finger, earlobe, or toe. Small beams of light pass through the blood in the finger, measuring the amount of oxygen. It does this by measuring changes of light absorption in oxygenated or deoxygenated blood. This is a painless process.

The pulse oximeter will thus be able to tell you your oxygen saturation levels along with your heart rate.

Procedure steps
Pulse oximetry may be used in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you have a pulse oximeter for home use.

The pulse oximetry process is as follows:

Most commonly, a clip-like device will be placed on your finger, earlobe, or toe. You may feel a small amount of pressure, but there is no pain or pinching. In some cases, a small probe may be placed on your finger or forehead with a sticky adhesive. You may be asked to remove your fingernail polish if it’s being attached to a finger.
You’ll keep the probe on for as long as needed to monitor your pulse and oxygen saturation. When monitoring physical activity capabilities, this will be during the extent of the exercise and during the recovery period. During surgery, the probe will be attached beforehand and removed once you’re awake and no longer under supervision. Sometimes, it will only be used to take a single reading very quickly.
Once the test is over, the clip or probe will be removed.
Pulse oximetry readings
Pulse oximetry is typically a fairly accurate test. This is especially true when using high-quality equipment found in most medical offices or hospital settings. It consistently provides results within a 2-percent difference either way of what it truly is. If your reading was 82 percent, for example, your true oxygen saturation level may be anywhere from 80 to 84 percent. However, the quality of the waveform and assessment of the individual must be considered. Factors such as movement, temperature, or nail polish can impact the accuracy.

Typically, more than 89 percent of your blood should be carrying oxygen. This is the oxygen saturation level needed to keep your cells — and your body — healthy. While having an oxygen saturation below this temporarily is not believed to cause damage, repeat or consistent instances of lowered oxygen saturation levels may be damaging.

An oxygen saturation level of 95 percent is considered normal for most healthy individuals. A level of 92 percent indicates potential hypoxemia, or deficiency in oxygen reaching tissues in the body.

What’s next?
Once the test is over, your care provider will have the readings available immediately. This will help them determine if other testing or treatment is necessary. If you’re evaluating how successful your oxygen supplementation therapy is, for example, a reading that’s still on the low side might indicate the need for more oxygen.

Your healthcare provider will be able to tell you what the next steps are. If you’re using pulse oximetry at home, they’ll let you know how often to take your readings and what to do if they go above or below certain levels.

Takeaway
Pulse oximetry is a quick, noninvasive, and completely painless test. It comes with no risks aside from potential skin irritation from the adhesive used in some types of probes

“Add more comment. And fixed a dangling participle”

Thanks Tom, another inexpensive device that I will certainly consider. Glad to see you fixed that participle as you never want your participle to simply dangle:)