I am sure it is very simple, but does anyone know how I can highlight multiple options in a listbox from a string from the database?

For example when I have a dynamic list that users can select mulitple options the values then get passed to the db as (for example) AA,BB,EE etc but how can you re-highlight those options in an update page listbox?
I know with a normal dropdown you can do it dynamically if the column contains only one value, but not as a string of values. This is causing me a huge headache. I think it is a case of checking each 'item' in the string but I don't know how.
Maybe there is there an extension available?

For all that is good and pure please help before i destroy my computer!!

This might be a lil more complex, but this is what I used to solve the same problem. Use the second post.

www.dmxzone.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21976&FORUM_ID=3&CAT_ID=2&Topic_Title=URGENT+%2D+ASP+Multi%2Dselect+list+in+Update+form&Forum_Title=Dreamweaver+UltraDev