$query_comments = 'UPDATE orders_status_history SET comments="'.$data_order['misc']['special_inst'].' Order Added to CRM" WHERE orders_id='.$data_order['meta']['web_order_num'];
echo 'Query: '. $query_comments . '<BR>';
mysql_query($query);
echo mysql_error() . '<BR>';
echo mysql_affected_rows(). '<BR>';
$query_test = 'SELECT comments FROM orders_status_history WHERE orders_id='.$data_order['meta']['web_order_num'];
echo 'Another Query: '. $query_test . '<BR>';
$result_test = mysql_query($query_test);
var_dump(mysql_fetch_array($result_test));


Results when run:
Query: UPDATE orders_status_history SET comments=" Order Added to CRM" WHERE orders_id=6

1
Another Query: SELECT comments FROM orders_status_history WHERE orders_id=6
array(2) { [0]=> string(0) "" ["comments"]=> string(0) "" } NULL