Final update .... I hope.
They did assign the IP to all my current sites. So things are looking up.
Emails are getting through.
That is terrific. It did take an abnormally long time, however, to resolve a simple issue.
I understand your desire not to spend more than you have to, but keep in mind that spending the bare minimum in most cases comes with certain expectations, such as the stress you had over the past few days.