hey, why is it that when i use the deform tool to change the shape of an object, it reverts to it's base shape as a POF file? how do i fix this?

I don't use TS for modeling (it really is a nightmare in that regard), so this might not be right - but it'll probably be because the deform modification hasn't been applied completely, meaning its geometry is actually still the base object with the deform modifier producing what you see on-screen.
Try pressing the point-edit button here: and then convert again.
Keep in mind though that will prevent you from modifying that particular deformation mesh later on though, since it's basically converting it back into raw geometry.