Thanks. I think I've got it. Here's the plan:

Get the TA down with muriatic acid until pH is 6.8.
  1. Add 1 pint of muriatic acid, wait 2 hours and retest pH. If not 6.8, add another pint of muriatic acid, wait 2 hrs, etc.
  2. Continue to aerate as this will lower the TA and raise the pH.
  3. Keep testing pH and TA. Maintain pH at 6.8 (adding 1 cup to 1 pint of muriatic acid as needed).
  4. Once TA reaches 120 (currently 190), let pH increase to normal level (7.4-7.6). If this does not happen within a couple days, add small amounts of borax to bring it up.
  5. Once TA = 120 and pH is 7.4-7.6, stop aerating.
While lowering the TA, test FC and TC nightly.
  1. Add 6 gallons of bleach nightly.
  2. If FC = 15ppm from the previous night’s dose, skip the bleach for until the next evening.
  3. Repeat this nightly until the CC is below 1ppm (FC and TC are within 1 ppm of each other)

Couple more questions:
  • Am I missing anything in the steps above?
  • Should I wait at least two hours after adding muriatic acid before adding the nightly dose of bleach?
  • For my 26K gallon vinyl IG pool, how much is "a small amount" of borax? 1lb?
Thanks for the support, instructions and education! This morning I could just make out the second rung of the ladder so the visibilty is starting to improve. I'll keep you posted via this thread. -- John