Reading "Long Text" from SQL Server

[RON]

I have to read a long text field (it's a PDF) from SQL Server in a VB.NET
(2003) app. Here's the code I have:

Sub GetPDF(byval Path as string)
'objConnection created elsewhere; not the problem
Dim da As SqlDataAdapter = New SqlDataAdapter( QUERYSTRING),
objConnection)
'query string will only return the Long Text column; and only one row
Dim ds As DataSet = New DataSet("JustAN ame")
Dim MyData(0) As Char '''original code was cloned from another procedure
which
'read a byte array. I didn't design the SQL Server DB; it's from a vendor.
'The column is Long Text; holds a PDF
da.Fill(ds, "PDF-TableName")
Dim myRow As DataRow
myRow = ds.Tables("PDF-TableName").Row s(0)
MyData = CType(myRow(0), Char())
Dim ArraySize As Integer = New Integer
ArraySize = MyData.GetUpper Bound(0)
'write operation
Dim fs As FileStream = New FileStream(path , FileMode.OpenOr Create,
FileAccess.Writ e)
fs.Write(MyData , 0, ArraySize) '''<<<PROBLEM. NEEDS A BYTE array
fs.Close()
end sub
SUB doesn't work. BUT NOT SURE why.

ANY HELP IS GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED

RON