Joe Yates
A dad-of-one who was told by doctors that he had simply pulled a muscle, discovered his suspicions of cancer was true.
On January 15, 40-year-old Stewart Phimister was told he has terminal bile duct cancer and was given just three to six months left to live, as it had aggressively spread to his spine, stomach lining, ribs and lymph nodes.
News of his diagnosis came following a year of complaints, with the Scot first noticing a pain on the side of his abdomen, followed by cramps and a build-up of stomach acid.
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Having booked a visit to see a doctor in Glasgow, he was sent home having been told it was a muscle strain - but when he became more fatigued he followed it up.
“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 told 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.”
The BAE Systems - a British multinational aerospace, defence and information security company - rigger is now hoping to use his remaining months to spend time with his girlfriend Alannah and their daughter Darcie, who turns three this month.
“It’s the most important six months of my life,” the doting father added.
“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 set up by one of his friends in the bid to help Phimister 'make the most of 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 read in part.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.