Photos completely disappeared after IPhoto first aid

First:
I received a message "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto"
After upgrading, I could no longer see my photos. While scrolling from the main library page, I could see photos. As soon as I stopped scrolling, the photos disappeared. If I clicked on one of the black squares, where the photos should be, I would get a triangle with an exclamation mark. At this point I could see thumbnails but all would open with the triangle. I performed the iphoto first aid and now I can't even see the thumbnails. I took it to the Genius Bar and was informed it was my hard drive. Any chance I can recover those pictures? Did the first aid actually lower any chance of recovery?
Second:
I have an external hard drive with an old version of iPhoto & some of my older pics backed up. When I try to open it, I'm back to the same **** problem of needing to upgrade. How do I retrieve the old photos. How do I back up future photos so they don't fall victim to this same problem?
I'm so frustrated. My iMac is less than 3 years old and my "genius" made me feel stupid. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for such a lengthy cry for help.

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

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Click to view full size
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Click to view full size
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Click to view full size
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Do you Twango?
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