Father given six months to live after doctors misdiagnose cramps as ‘pulled muscle’

A father of one, initially informed by doctors that he had merely pulled a muscle, later discovered his suspicion of having cancer was confirmed.

On January 15, Stewart Phimister, aged 40, was diagnosed with terminal bile duct cancer and was told he had only three to six months to live, as the disease had aggressively spread to his spine, stomach lining, ribs, and lymph nodes.

His diagnosis came after a year of complaints. The Scottish man initially noticed pain on the side of his abdomen, followed by cramps and stomach acid build-up.

After arranging a doctor’s appointment in Glasgow, he was sent home with the diagnosis of a muscle strain. However, as his fatigue worsened, he sought further medical attention.

“Last year I said that I thought I had cancer but they had to go through different procedures before they could identify the issue,” Phimister shared with Scottish outlet STV News.

“After going to work again, I felt really sore. Eventually, I phoned NHS 24 and asked to be seen.

“I underwent an ultrasound scan and was told I was getting kept in. The doctor said there were a few suspicious masses on my liver, but it wasn’t conclusive.”

He continued: “I phoned Alannah [his partner] and my mum, and the doctor said it was really bad. They said they were unable to remove anything and it was terminal.

“A doctor told me that I had between three and six months to live. You always see situations like this on TV and you can’t imagine it happening to you.

“When she told me, I was shell-shocked. At that point, I was devastated, and I was terrified to die. Everything goes through your mind.”

Working as a rigger at BAE Systems, a British multinational aerospace, defense, and information security company, Stewart aims to make the most of his remaining months with his girlfriend Alannah and their daughter Darcie, who will soon turn three.

“It’s the most important six months of my life,” he said as he focuses on spending meaningful time with his family.

“I still don’t want to die, I want to live life. I want to prolong this as much as possible.

“I will fight to the end. Making memories with my daughter and partner is all that matters right now.”

A GoFundMe page has been established by a friend to help Stewart ‘maximize the time he has left with his young family’.

“The purpose of this fund is to ease the financial pressure and burden and help Stewart make as many memories as he can with his partner Alannah and their (soon to be) 3-year-old daughter, Darcie,” it stated in part.

If you have been impacted by similar issues and wish to speak with someone confidentially, reach out to the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or through their live chat service, available 24/7 every day of the year.