Welcome Lucy! Your story is similar to mine also, although, I am envious of you for having hydroponic stores near you. Being in farming community doesn't make it easy for me to get orchid material
I'm so glad to hear other people having the same problems I did! I tried to rescue one, and just as it was recovering, I left it alone with the person I was supposed to be rescuing it from, and when I finally got to take it home, I had the same stinky mess in the pot.