(I've posted this in the Word Tables group, but it looks like it hasn't had
much activity there, so I'm hoping someone here can assist.)

Using Word 2003.

I've searched & read threads on column resizing, but my problem persists.
Hoping someone can help!

I have a document consisting of multiple (independent) tables. The top two
rows of cells contain identifying text for what's in that particular table.  
In the default template I created, the cells are just wide enough for the
words they contain -- initially, "preferred width" is checked.

But when I replace this text with anything longer -- replacing "Eyes" with
"Eyelashes", for example -- the cell does not expand to accommodate the new
text -- it wraps.  Neither "Wrap Text" NOR "Fit Text" are checked under the
Cell tab in Table Properties, nor is "Automatically resize to fit contents"
under Table.

If I manually resize the column to fit the text, the entire table resizes to
the right, often right off the page boundary.

I can right-click and choose "Autofit to contents", but this makes the cells
become part of the columns underneath them and throws everything way off.

And for the record, checking "Automatically resize to fit contents" doesn't
do anything either.

I've tried turning all the above settings on AND off, with the same results.
This template will be used to edit dozens if not hundreds of documents
formatted the same way, so I really need these cells to resize for new text
content, without resizing the right margin of the table and without having to
manually compute column widths for every single one.

I'm really at my wits' end on a huge problem.  Can anyone help..???