version 4.3.8 killing me!

dugawug

so my hosting company just upped our PHP version to 4.3.8 and suddenly all of my database calls (MySQL) using PEAR DB seem to need re-writing!

i'm going crazy. i'm fearing i have to re-code my site and i'm going nuts figuring out the "right" way to code.

for example, this used to work on PHP 4.3.3:

<?php
		// write query
		$sql = "select Code, Full_Name FROM Country" ;
		// process query 
		$queryexe = $db->query($sql);
		// loop for each country
		while($result = $queryexe->fetchRow(DB_FETCHMODE_OBJECT)) 
    	{
    		$Code = $result->Code; 
    		$fullname = $result->Full_Name; 
			print("<option value='$Code'>$fullname</option>") ;
		}
		?>

but now, NOPE!
it produces no error, but rather simply leaves a bunch of empty select fields.

THIS my hosting company found, does work:

 <?php
		// write query
		$sql = "SELECT Code, Full_Name FROM Country;" ;
		// process query 
		$queryexe = $db->query($sql);
		// loop for each country
		while ($row = $queryexe->fetchRow ()) 
    	{
			echo '<option value="' . $row[0] . '">' . $row[1] . '</option>' ;
		}
		?>

subtle change, but i'm going nuts thinking i have to re-figure out how to code my DB calls! PEAR DB was already cryptic and undocumented as it was! i'm no veteran here!

anyone know a good source of info to help me?
anyone experience the same?

thanks!