iOS Swift + SQLite database can't execute select statement

I'm working on a group project for school and I am also trying to learn Swift for the project, so I am very new to Xcode and Swift and though I know SQL I have not worked with SQLite before. I am at the point where I have verified that I am able to open a reuse.db file that was created by my group mate, but I am unable to execute insert or select statements that don't return nil. Alternatively after following a tutorial, I am able to create a database.db file and then execute statements within that create a table, insert data into the table, and then query results, however I need to figure out how to utilize the database created by my group mate. Once I get the results I will have to figure out how to parse and reformat them so they correctly populate the table views, however I am just stuck on figuring out how to get results in the first place. Here is my view controller code. After I open the database I am unable to do an insert, and if I comment out my insert attempt, I am unable to do a select query. Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions!! Also, I believe the syntax for my SQL statements are correct because I have verified they are correct with the group mate that created the reuse.db file

//
//  ViewController.swift
//  EmmasTest
//
//  Created by Emma Paul on 5/14/15.
//  Copyright (c) 2015 Emma Paul. All rights reserved.
//

import UIKit

class CategoriesViewController: UIViewController, UITableViewDelegate, UITableViewDataSource {

    @IBOutlet var tableView: UITableView!

    //initialize categories to be a blank string 
    var categories: [String] = []



    //this stores a reference to the database path 
    var databasePath = NSString()

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        // Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.

        //sets the page title to be "Categories" 
        title = "Categories"

        //the .self gets the class to use the class name 
        self.tableView.registerClass(UITableViewCell.self, forCellReuseIdentifier: "cell")


        let myDatabase = FMDatabase(path: "/Users/emmamaypaul/Downloads/reuse.db")

        if myDatabase == nil
        {
            categories = ["couldn't open database file"]
        }
        else
        {
            if myDatabase.open()
            {

                categories = ["opened file"]

                let insertSQL = "INSERT INTO categories (name) VALUES ('Emmas appliance');"

                let result = myDatabase.executeUpdate(insertSQL, withArgumentsInArray: nil)

                if !result
                {
                    categories = ["couldn't insert"]
                }
                else
                {
                    categories = ["insert happened"]
                } /*

                let categoryQuery = "SELECT name FROM categories"

                let results:FMResultSet? = myDatabase.executeQuery(categoryQuery, withArgumentsInArray: nil)

                if (results?.stringForColumn("name") != nil)
                {

                 //   var string_result: String? = results?.stringForColumn("name")

                  //  categories = ["\(string_result)"]

                    categories = ["query happened"]       
                }else{
                       categories = ["query didn't happened"]
                } */
            myDatabase.close()

            }
        }



        //this sorts the categories
    //    categories.sort(<)

    }

    func tableView(tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection: Int) -> Int
    {
        //this will be the count of the array 
        return self.categories.count;
    }

    func tableView(tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) -> UITableViewCell
    {
        var cell:UITableViewCell = self.tableView.dequeueReusableCellWithIdentifier("cell") as! UITableViewCell

        cell.textLabel?.text = self.categories[indexPath.row]
        return cell
    }

    func tableView(tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath)
    {
        //I believe this allows you to select a row, just prints a message for now if selected
        //actually nothing gets printed      
        println("You selected #\(indexPath.row) category")

    }

    override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
        super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
        // Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
    }


}