PDO scope issue

Hi guys quick question.

Just trying to implement the PDO object in PHP - but alas I hit a wall. I liek to keep all the functions in a seperate file called functions and it will have functions like checkuser() updateuser() deleteuser() - these exist in the functions.php. When creating the PDO object I create it in connect.php (so as If i need to change the db config moving the site)

HOWEVER!!! the pdo object is not available in the scope of the checkuser() updateuser() deleteuser() in functions.php file. It seems it is outside the scope.

Previously my function would be :

function loadCaseInfo($va1, $var2)
{
$sqlQuery = "SELECT * from Record ";
$result = mysql_query($sqlQuery);
if (!$result) die("Error: " .mysql_error());
if (mysql_num_rows($result)>=1) {
$memberArray = mysql_fetch_assoc($result);
return $memberArray;
}

The mysql_query was available across the board which made it simple. The PDO object however is not and I have been trying all sorts of ways to make it work like :

class getDB {
function createDB(){
$handler = new PDO('mysql:'.DB_PDO_DB,DB_USER,DB_PASSWORD);
$handler->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);

return $handler;
}
}

$db = new getDB();
$statement = $db->createDB();
$record = $statement->prepare("select * from users ");

Im pretty sure this is the complete wrong way about going about it and want to know the "correct way" of dealing with PDO objects. I have tried to call print_r($handler) in checkuser() updateuser() deleteuser() but comes up blank however if I call it outside of these functiosn but within the functions.php file (which houses all these functions) it works?!?!?!? any ideas??

B