Illustrator converted my image to text- can't convert back

Finished my project last night.  Exported as SVG.  Pulled up the SVG today to convert into other file types.  Illustrator somehow converted my image into text, or thinks it's text, rather.  What's really strange, is that the nodes are still there, and still editable.  But when you export, it assumes it's text and it is ignored by all of my cutting programs.  The lines are completely gone when you import the SVG into another app, such as lightburn.  No matter what I do, I cannot get my image to convert back to an image.  Create outlines and expand both just make the image disappear completely.  Please tell me there is a way to fix this!  I have no idea what went wrong.  I've already used the SVG just fine before, I pulled up the source file to make changes in another part of the design and didn't even touch this image.  Some sort of MAJOR glitch.