I definatly feel ya.... I was in the same boat not too long ago. It's unfortunate that you can go to a pet store, buy an animal, and be told how to take care of it, exactly the way it SHOULDN'T be taken care of.

Stick around here, you will learn a LOT. (And it's full of great people, too!!)
In the mean time, get that snake to a vet ASAP.... which you are and I applaud you for it. Tell us how it goes, and when all is well, post some pics! We loooooove pics!