Love a person of action!! So rare in forum-land.
Another little gem to share, get two identical hides for both the warm and cold side. Often they will sacrifice their thermoregulation in exchange for a hide they feel more secure in. It's like me when I wear open-toed high heels in the dead of winter - I sacrifice my warmth because I want to look cute. To ensure your snake is not doing the snake-version of this, make sure both hides are the same, so they will choose which one is best based on temp regulating and not how cute they look - er, I mean which hide they like best.
You'll get your little one on the right path soon. BPs are tough, they can hang in while you dial in your husbandry, so fear not.