A weekend of complete HELL...

Just when you think things are going great and life can't get much better, something bad always has to happen. I know a lot of you are already aware of what happened Saturday night, but I'll start from the beginning for those that haven't heard...
Saturday morning, Russ and I woke up (our first Saturday in our new house--yeeaahhh!!!) and loaded our old washer and dryer to take to my sister in Salt Lake. We enjoyed our drive and were able to spend a nice afternoon with Karen. We went out to dinner and had just gotten back to her house to hang out for the rest of the evening when I got a call from my brother Ray letting us know that my sister Joleen was in the ER in St. George and they were doing chest compressions to keep her alive. It was one of those phone calls that took a minute for everything to sink in. It was one of those moments that you keep wishing for the "JUST KIDDING" to come out of his mouth, but it never came. Ray didn't have much information for us, but said that my mom and dad were on their way to St. George and would let us know as soon as they had more information. I haven't felt that helpless in a long time. I wanted to rush to the hospital to be by her side. Russ and I decided that we'd better pack up and head toward St. George because things weren't looking good for my sweet sister. Karen decided to stay in SLC until we had more info, but by the time we got to Nephi, Ray had called her and told her she should get to St. George because they didn't think she was going to make it through the night. The weather was pretty bad so Russ and I waited in Nephi until Karen could catch up with us and we could drive to St. George together. That was one of THE longest rides I've ever had in my life. I was so grateful for cell phones though because it allowed us to keep in contact so we were aware of what was going on at the hospital. We made it to St. George at 3 am Sunday morning. It was horrible to walk into her room in the ICU and see her on life support. They told us that Joleen had suffered a thyroid storm(a rare condition that happens to people with thryoid issues) which caused her body to go into cardiac arrest. They had to shock her heart multiple times and performed CPR for nearly a 1/2 hour before they were able to get her heart beating again. Because of the amount of time she went without oxygen, she suffered massive amounts of brain damage. It has been a roller coaster ride during the past 48 hours, but they aren't giving her much of a chance of surviving. Her brain is showing almost no activity and there is a lot of swelling. The doctors told us that usually within the first 72 hrs you can tell if a person is going to turn the corner, but even if she does make it, she will probably be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. I feel like I have cried and cried until there shouldn't be any more tears left, but they keep coming from somewhere. My poor niece is 23 years old and will have to be the one that decides when to pull the plug. I can't even imagine having that kind of decision placed on my shoulders. We've spent a lot of time talking with her about everything, and she doesn't want to make a rushed decision so we're going to wait until the 72 hour mark (Tues. at about 7 pm) and then go from there. Unless some miracle occurs, I think it isn't a matter of "if" we pull the plug, but "when." All of my brothers and sisters are here together, and it has been amazing to feel the love and support we draw from each other. I don't think we could do it alone. I have been blessed with an amazing family, and it's times like this that makes me appreciate the close and loving relationship that we all share. I've always referred to all of us as the "magnificant 7", and I can't imagine what life will be like without her. I love you sis! I would appreciate any extra prayers you can offer in her behalf!!! I'll keep you posted...