A mum-of-two who woke up with an excruciating headache died two days later after it turned out to be an aneurysm.
Mum-of-two Nicola Irwin called 111 for advice on September 28 and it was suspected that she had a bleed on her brain.
Husband Myles, 46, took her into the Royal Stoke University Hospital – where she had previously worked as a nurse for 13 years – for a CT scan and check up.
But it emerged that she had an aneurysm, Staffordshire Live reported.
And Nicola, aged 50, passed away at the hospital two days later on September 30.
She leaves behind Myles and her children Lauren, 28, and Seth, 11.
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Now her grief-stricken husband has paid tribute to her saying: "I’ve lost half of me."
Myles said: “It came as a huge shock. I was expecting Nicki to be out that afternoon. She was just going there for a check up and a CT scan in my eyes.
“But the bleeding was so bad she had an aneurysm. She was brain dead and it was just her heart beating.
“Our family said goodbye on Wednesday (September 29)."
The couple got married in June 2008 in a short but special ceremony at the registry office in Newcastle-Under-Lyme.
Myles said: "The wedding was amazing. I had to wait at the registry office for three-and-a-half hours because there was a fatal crash on the M6.
“She was travelling from Congleton to the registry office and they went on the M6.
“She was stuck there. The registrar said it was too late but I said even if it’s the shortest 10 minute ceremony that's fine, so they did that, it was short and quick.
"We went to the Noah’s Ark pub afterwards and we had the reception there. It’s also where we had the wake for her too.”
Nicola, who had been working in children’s health services for the last six months, loved spending time with her children.
Myles added : “Lauren and Seth were her absolute world. They feel lost. Seth doesn’t want Christmas, he just wants his mum back.
"She loved anything to do with the dog and getting out in nature. Going out for meals. We would travel and get away as much as we could.
“She was the chef of the house without a doubt. I used to be but when we had Seth she took over.
“My favourite memories with her include getting married and having our son together. She used to pull faces at me all the time to make me laugh.
“If we ever went out she’d make me get up and dance even though I didn’t like dancing but I did it for her."
He added: "I miss everything about her. I miss not being with her and not seeing her, her company, cuddles and love.
"I’ve lost half of me. I’m a boat and I’ve lost my anchor. I don’t know what I’m doing now.
“Her funeral was on October 29. I’d like to thank everybody that turned up to her funeral. There were a lot of people there.
“That support is huge. To know she was loved was good enough for me, I find comfort in knowing that.”
