Lisa, the lever is known for being problematic and sticking. Her photo actually shows it in the "up" position. Mine is stuck in the up position as well. I've tried every product and have tried several methods and none have worked. Some people do have success, but mine is not cooperative. The only way for me to get it unstuck is to dismantle the knob from the machine and I've done that once and I won't do that on a Bernina again if it's not absolutely necessary. And really this lever that you pull down isn't needed for the buttonhole. It's nice, but you can control the width yourself and it's not a "must".
It's very common for this lever to be broken if forced, so I would warn you to be very careful in your treatment of it. That's why I accepted it's stubbornness. Replacements would only come from donor machines and it's such a pain to do, it wouldn't be cheap to have someone do it for you. So, give the hair dryer and Triflow a chance but mine has not budged after many, many treatments!