Recover Apple ID despite deleting email address and not being able to answer the security questions

I have an old Apple ID that I've lost access to because I deleted the email address it was tied to and I can't remember the security answers to anymore. I have some purchases tied to it, but the credit card info has been long removed -- it'd be expired by now, anyway. I called Apple Security, but was unable to regain access. Still, I'm wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and how they went about recovering their account.

It’s not possible anymore to recover your Apple ID over the phone. You could, in the past, but not now. Consider your Apple ID dead. And they won’t make an exception.

Source: http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/24/apple-flooded-with-icloud-password-reset-requests-amid-tightened-account-security-controls/