Pages 08 corrupt index.xml file

I've searched extensively on this topic, and I'm pretty sure I am out of luck.

However, my perfectly fine pages document from yesterday will not open today. The .xml file seems to be the problem; when I view the package, the index.xml.gz file won't "unzip" to an xml file, and if I just change the file extension, I get a garbled mess.

Is there any way I can get the xml.gz file recovered?

I am very sad. I will no longer be using pages because I can't trust it. What I have read on the 'net is very discouraging.

Yes, yes, backup yes yes all that stuff. However, unless someone has instant simultaneous backup, this kind of thing could still happen - it was just one day, and I don't backup my files every day.

 

no .pdf file in the package, just the .jpg thumbnail of the first page (preview image).

upgrades cost money, of which I am not made. I do my updates, though, as far as they go.

am re-creating the work in Word, which I hate, but is at least recoverable. No more Pages for me.