enough, already!

Dammit.

Okay. How do I get 500+ revision words back?

I saved the document, but when I went to open it again five minutes later, the changes were not saved. The document was exactly as it had been when I began work.

I saved the document, then I saved as to create a new document so that I could paste the draft words of the next chapter into it (this keeps me from having to re-create the formatting), then I reopened the first document and every single word of two hours work was gone. I've done this umpteen times before without a bit of trouble. I am using Word 2003 (no, I am not going to change word processors until they pry this one from me by main force -- I hate the newer versions of Word and the docxes they rode in on, and I am not interested in a new learning curve from another program, either).

I did everything right, dammit! I mean, I've lost data before, but only by doing stupid things. I did not do a stupid thing this time.

Someone, please tell me how to get these words back, please?

This has been the week from hell already, and I needed one more thing going wrong about the same way that camel needed that last straw.