Cross-extension resource

Hi all, I'm writing an extension in order to achieve better performance in a specific module from our application. Right now, I'm trying to use an already established mysql connection (with mysql_connect) in our extension, so we don't have to connect to the database twice, since that connection is used in the PHP code. I don't need PHP's mysql API, since I can do everything in C, I just want the connection ID. I've read Sara's (great... GREAT) book, but I couldn't find any specific solution to this situation. Is this possible? Is there a "best" way? Btw, thank you all for developing what is, by far, my preferred language. Thanks in advance. Mauro Nicolás Infantino.