There is no shortcut to a properly structured file. If you didn't anchor your images and text frames, there's no path to a successful EPUB/Kindle import other than 'going back into InDesign and anchoring them.' (Although I suppose there might be some fantastically convoluted script-based solution.)
There are only three paths to Kindle: direct Word upload, Word-to-HTML-to-upload, and ID-to-EPUB-to-upload. (I am ignoring the build-a-bear EPUB approach and ID-to-HTML.)
For all the "ease" that direct Word upload seems to offer, and noting that the process is heavily weighted to make this approach easy, it means taking what Word+Kindle Previewer want to give you. If you can't make it happen with Word formatting, it basically can't happen. That this path has some automation to get around amateur limitations doesn't make it worthwhile for anyone else.
Without knowing more specifics about your project, I'd suggest:
Create object styles for each type of image or text frame in your doc. Optimize each one for the content and look you want. Make sure these styles are consistently applied without overrides.
Anchor each image and text frame to the end of the immediately prior or otherwise appropriate paragraph. Don't get tricky with layout; just center them between paragraphs.
Experiment with the Object export options, especially Fixed vs. Relative, to see what gets you the best export to EPUB overall. (Use a neutral reader like Thorium if a pass through Previewer isn't quick enough.)
If you're lucky, one setting or the other, plus adjustment of the image sizes as placed in the doc, will get you the result you want. If not, you are going to have to go into any "unsuitable" images and set the object export options for each, or all of that type.
And you'll certainly have to do some CSS tweaking to get things like borders around your text frames and other styles just right. No visual tool I know of exports perfect EPUB code.
And, I am not sure you're comfortable with tags/styles; maybe I am misreading your posts but if every paragraph in your doc doesn't have a defined style with no overrides, it will be that much harder to get to a successful result. Particularly in ID, absolutely every element in a doc should have a paragraph style or object style, with all text overrides applied with character styles... no exceptions.
ETA: it is possible to edit the XHTML code to add divs around material, but it's tedious and I have rarely found it necessary. If you get all material into one flow with anchored elements, there's rarely a need to go in and create such content blocks.
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