WinXP Pro , Outlook 2k3, VB , MS VS 6

I inherited an Outlook Project based on the COM Add-In template on
http://www.microeye.com/resources/index.html
The basic function of the Add-In is to provide outlook with
functionality to work on my currrent company's custom forms/outlook
items. In order to provide a reference and way by which the items can
be ordered / grouped / linked with each other (by Project related
information such as customer, project name etc.) user defined
properties were introduced that are being maintained.

My problem lies in the use of old, pre-Add-In MessageTypes immediately
after conversion.
The Add-In provides the user with a way to select multiple items and
set the user defined properties for all of them at the same time by way
of a Form. The code in the dll mainly uses 2 separate functions. One to
convert the old Message Type to the Homemeade Type

oSel.Item(m).MessageClass = "NewAndImproved_MessageClass"

and one to set the user defined properties to the gathered values

Item.UserProperties("ShinyNewProperty") = "User Input String"

Once the message class string has been set to the new class type, the
Object is technically of the new type, but does not have access to the
user defined properties yet. I need access to the new properties asap
since the results are dependent of the type as well as whether it is a
newly created object (of the new type) or an object that has been
converted from an older model item type. Is there a way to do a refresh
or behind the scenes close&reopen ? Am i looking in the wrong place ?

-George