Help! Permanent Haircolor disaster!!!

I colored my medium brown long hair for the first time on 3-20-00 with PERMANENT Loreal Excellance Cream. The color I used was Light Golden Brown. Unfortunately, I only purchased one box. By the time I got to about my ears I had run out of color. I started at the top back of my head around the part and worked my way along each side so it would be even. I got the whole top done, but as I said when I got to about my ears I ran out! I probably should have just left it on for 35 mins as it said and then rinsed it well and dried it, then colored the rest after i got another box... but at the time I panicked and my husband went to the store to get me another box. What I did was put it on the rest of my long hair as soon as he got back. This resulted in me leaving the color on the Top (crown)part of my hair for 50 minutes instead of 35 mins. I left it on the rest of my hair the right amount of time, which was 35 minutes. I also was so frantic while I waited for my husband to return that I tried to work the color on top to the rest of my hair and piled it on top of my head. I read later that when you have long hair, the hair on top processes quicker because your hair is insulated and when you pile it on top it heats and processes even faster so I really messed up!!! All I wanted to do was lighten my hair. Now the top part of my hair to about my ears all the way around is like a light auburn color. The rest is a little lighter than it was (med brown), but with a warm red tone, which I don't mind. I just want the top to match the rest. I also dread when my roots start coming in my med brown natural color because it will clash so much with this very red color on top. The reason I wanted to use light golden brown in the first place was so my roots wouldn't be so noticeable and my hair is warm to begin with. When I looked on the box and matched my natural color to the box color it showed it would only lighten it slightly, which is what I wanted. I do have stubborn gray hair too, altho I am only 33 and this is the main reason I colored to begin with. Not a ton of gray but enough to make me hate my hair esp since I'm so young. I called Loreal and they told me to go ahead and use Medium Brown permanant on the top part that is too red for 25 mins, and to use it on the rest of my hair (that I like), for only 10 mins. She said if I use anything lighter than Medium Brown that it would add more red. She also said as long as it had been 24 hours since I colored it would be fine to color again with permanent color. It also says that you can color again safely (on their instructions inside the box) after a 24 hour period. I read so many differnt things about what to do if your medium brown hair is too red from coloring with a warm (gold) color. I definitely don't want my hair to be two different colors if I put this medium brown on and leave it longer on top than the rest. I also don't want it to be too dark or darker than it was before I colored. I am happy with the color I got on all but the top part. My husband says he really can't see that much of a difference between the color on top and the rest but I can. Basically it all looks natural except for the top being lighter and much redder. If I had only bought 2 boxes of color! sigh!!! I also don't know which color to use from now on to do touch ups on the roots etc. Do I use medium brown or do I use Light Golden Brown, which I like? I would like to keep my hair the color it is on all but the top part, but I am scared of how it will turn out if... after I use the Med Brown permanent color for corrective coloring, and then from now on go back to Light Golden Brown. I am scared that the part that is too red now may turn even redder in the future. My hair is in very long layers, only slightly layered and is past my mid back in length. What I read when other people said their medium brown hair turned too red after coloring was to use an ash brown shade to tone down the red, altho they recommended semi permanent color instead of permanent color. I asked Loreal about that when I called and she said no, to use permanent color and to use Med Brown, not any ash tones as it would make it too dark. She also cautioned me if I used lighter than a Med Brown that it would only make my hair more red. The other things I have read were to use a detergent shampoo or dishwashing liquid several times, even as much as several times a day for a week to make the color fade. I have already dried my hair right after rinsing the color out and I have to wash my hair about every 3 days at the least and I do dry it with a hairdryer. I know this only sets the color more, but I have no choice. If I try to make the color fade, I'm scared it will only look worse, since I am happy with all the color except the whole crown part. I am in a quandry as to what to do. It wouldn't bother me so much like it is now, but once I start getting new growth and dark roots I know I will hate it! I know I went on so long but I want to make sure I tell everything to get the best advice. I would appreciate as much help as possible from anyone knowledgeable! Thank you all so much!!! Melissa :o)