6 Days Later

I came home from work, 6 days later, on a Thursday. Clark talked about a sudden headache he had earlier in the day. It was very localized on the left side. He showed me with his fingers, right behind the left temple. But he said it was gone and he felt okay. As before with the 1st stroke we went into a denial. Mistake #1. We decided it was probably from the surgery but nothing really serious and it would not happen again. But, when I came home Friday night, he was having that same severe headache. I asked him if he wanted to go to the emergency room, but he didn't. (sound familiar..)
So, I called the doctor who did the surgery on his artery. It was after office hours, so I had to leave a voicemail for someone to call us back. A different doctor called back and I started to explain what Clark was feeling, when I decided I should give the phone to Clark, so he could explain where and how severe the pain was. That was Mistake #2. Clark spoke to the doctor for a very short time and hung up. I asked Clark "what did the doctor say?", but all Clark would tell me was, "the doctor doesn't know what he his talking about". I didn't push the issue, not wanting to upset him anymore. The pain thankfully subsided again. We again figured or hoped it wouldn't come back. But, the next day on Saturday around 11:00 AM, I was standing on the deck looking at the fields and enjoying the sun on my face. Clark came up behind me and circled his arms around my waist. We snuggled into each other, when suddenly Clark grabbed his left temple in severe pain. He went to the bedroom and kneeled by the bed with his face into the bedcover and his hands on his head. I knew then something was terribly wrong. I didn't really know he was already being affected mentally. But, this time I didn't ask, I told him that he had to go to the emergency room. Clark agreed that he should go, but when he was putting on his shoes very slowly, he started to smile at me, like I was over reacting. My heart started to pound harder, and my mind was racing. Well, we went to a local emergency room, about 20 minutes from us, but not an emergency room that Clark ever thought much of. Clark sat down and I told the person at the registration desk I thought Clark was having a stroke. That was the only logical thing I could think of at this point. (Wow, I actually started to wake up!) Unfortunately, no one came out immediately to help, giving proof for Clark's dislike of the place, and also giving him reason to get up and leave. When I caught up with him in the parking lot, I grabbed his arm and begged him to go back in, but he wouldn't. We started driving and I asked him to let me take him to another hospital, but he refused and said to take him home. As I drove, he turned to look at me and the horror I felt was undescribeable. I first saw that his right lip was drooping and Oh my God, his right eye. I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest, I knew right at that point, I had to keep it together. I could not, I would not fall apart. Clark needed me the most he ever did in our life's together. I said, "Clark you are having a stroke, you have got to let me take you back to the hospital. He adamantly refused and insisted I take hime home, and now his words were starting slur. Mistake # 3....I took him home. I loss of valuable time....