New user, above ground pool, chlorine system

I have just discovered the BBB method. Yippee!!! Now, our saga, Ronnie and I are 67 and 69 years old. Ronnie is disabled from a brain hemorrhage 3.5 years ago. The 24 foot round 57"deep pool had poor maintenance since then, not being shut down in the winters, Last year replaced the pump and filter with a Hayward pump and and sand filter to the tune of around $800. I could not get help to shut down the pool again last winter. Lots of sticks leaves and algae. When shock with algae killing crystals (Clorox brand Xtra Blue) did not even phase the water I followed a friends advice and added 2 gallons of Clorox. The water is a little cloudy and more blue. I can even see the bottom. Yes, I have vacumned the pool but I made a terrible mistake. When I took the basket out to empty it, I restarted the vac without putting the filter basket back in place. I discovered my mistake but too late not to have vacuumned a lot of leaves. Yesterday we backwashed the filter and emptyed the secondary basket which was full of leaves and debris. The pump was running great then and that is when I added the first 2 gallon jugs of Clorox bleach. Like I said, the water is cloudy but much cleaner and clearer. Still a good bit of leaves and debris in the center of the pool andalgae carcasses in the outer edges of the pool. The pump is not running too well this morning. Question #1, How do I set the filter thingy that lets me switch from normal function to back wash. Do I just need to back wash or set it some other setting like waste to bypass the sand?? Our water is so expensive that I do not really want to drain the pool and restart from the beginning. I hope not to need to replace the sand.
sewingmom