I am the OP:

Special shout-out to HN-member, luka! After finding me online, he diligently helped me regain access to my account! As of just now I have logged into my gmail account!

So all's well that ends well. It sure helps to know where to find smart and considerate people that can actually help, like on HN. I don't know what I would've done had I not had that option.

Now I just need to verify myself with my brand new phone which is used and there's no info about the previous owner. So now I'm into chapter 2 of my phone adventure. That's a lot better than it was when I made this post!