Call the Mac help line asap!! Mac will save your last document so I'm sure it's not gone forever. They will walk you thru everything. Don't play around w/ it or you may accidentally delete the "saved" copy!
Do you have a hard copy printed out at least? This can be scanned in and resubmitted.
Another alternative if you have a laptop, go the nearest Apple store and take your laptop w/ you. Each Apple store has a Genius Bar staffed w/ people who know how to fix problems like this. I'm sure someone there can help you retrieve your document.
Good luck and HTH!
I hate that I am not a computer whiz and did not know how to avoid my case law research paper due on Sunday night being erased by my computer "force quitting " every open page on Safari. AAARRGGHH!! All I had to do is hit the submit button ,because I was done , but instead I pulled up a new window to check out one more thing at FindLaw.com and the "wheel of death" appeared . I let the spinning rainbow do its thing for couple of hours and was trying to figure out away around force quitting all pages and accidentally did just that. I know "when life gives you lemons make lemonade" but I don't want to make lemonade I barely squeezed this thing out with 4 kids (whom I adore 
