Oh man that is some hard work to give you a renewed respect for the tradespeople! The lazy in me resents time spent destroying something but you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.
Once you get through it and take some time to see the finished result, you will love it and take a few moments to tell your wife she was right ;)
Please check back with pictures of the completed project and lessons learned. You can do it!
Thanks for the encouraging words.