Propose your current roadblock and we can map out the exact to resolve it.
Lightroom's "index" is the internal catalog structure that tracks metadata, previews, edits, and file locations for every image you import. It isn't a separate file called an index; rather it’s implemented within the Lightroom Catalog (.lrcat) database (an SQLite database) and associated preview files. index of adobe lightroom
Re-importing photos destroys your existing edit history and virtual copies. Propose your current roadblock and we can map