Images Gone!

I have a ImageCache upload widget on a few of my content types and yesterday when I was adding a new content type I set it the image to be required and have a maximum image of 1. Apparently because I am using the same widget for a few different content types this change happened on all of them.

My pictures content type for my galleries is missing all of the images over the first one even after I set the value back to unlimited. Is there any way to get them back? Are the files still on the server? I have a database backup from a little while back, does anyone know the proper mysql commands to update just that content type from for content before a backup date? I don't want to revert the whole site back. Unfortunately I don't think I have a backup of the files so if they are gone then there gone.

*Feature Request: I may have missed it but is there text explaining that the ImageCache widgets will be using the same settings when applied to multiple content types? If so can we get that?* :p

Lastly what the best way to explain to the boss that a couple years worth of pictures have been deleted?