Quote: "I don't know what I pressed but some of the vertices went haywire and I pressed close"
So, you didn't have it saved at all?
But, don't forget, with software like Blender, Ctrl+Z is your friend!
I press the wrong key every now and again as i am mainly looking at the screen rather than my keyboard, but, Ctrl+Z always sorts that out for me. Plus, like Quik Said, always be saving and if you are working on something for a while, save it as a different version (just add 001, 002, 003 etc)
Sorry i can't give more advice, but, i don't know exactly what you have pressed.
My parting comment would be: DON'T give up on UV mapping! It is essential for creating a decent looking model! It is more time consuming than hard. Just be patient and take your time. You will surprise yourself.
Unfamillia