If your UTH is unregulated I would honestly unplug it as it can burn your snake: and it sounds like you may not be able to afford costly vet care. There's a thermostat you can get online for about $30, though I don't have the link to it: I'm sure someone else has it.

In the meantime I would buy a lamp dimmer from Home Depot/Lowes (in electrical department) which run about $12 to plug your UTH into. You can turn the heat down this way so it doesn't get overly hot.

I recommend a digital Accurite brand thermometer for your temps ($12 at Walmart, by the indoor fans and bulbs department): they have ones that have a probe where you can stick it over the hot side to monitor hot side temps. You can also get a ambient air temp/humidity one but you'll need a temperature gun (~$30) or other thermometer to check your direct hot spot temps.

If you have the snake in a room that gets under ~80 degrees you'll need an additional heat source: a heat lamp can do this. This should also be on a dimmer: I cannot recommend a brand or bulb wattage as I don't use heat lamps.

As for wanting to see her: a hiding BP is a happy one, they just aren't the best display snakes IMO. You don't want your snake to be roaming constantly as this can be a sign of stress so I recommend maybe getting a night bulb so you can view the snake at night when they're usually more active. Again, I can't personally recommend a bulb for you.

Caresheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet

Hope this helps a little.