Regarding the battery drain - a stop-gap solution: I am now on full-time battery save mode. What I didn't realize, however, is that you can choose which apps are not affected by this mode, meaning, (in my case), I can have WhatsApp, Skype, and MetroTalk always available in the background. It seems to have helped - as the last 3 hours, I lost ~ 15%, with normal usage (vs 30% with no usage). I'm ok with that.
Regarding re-installation of my MetroMail app: to be honest with you, my only need from Google is Google Voice, (you'd think Skype could be the answer - but, no). I was hoping for some "jailbreak" solution....
Anyways, if anyone is interested in my battery drain "solution", I can update my status as I learn more.
Thanks Darkgift and Bmetelsky for the input.