My dad complained that his food didn’t taste right – now he has only a few months to live, we’re in shock

WHEN Pete Murphy started noticing stomachaches, he realized that nothing tasted right.

But nothing prepared him for the shock diagnosis that followed when doctors said he had just months to live.

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Grandfather of three Pete developed abdominal pain and loss of appetite in February.

“He started having really bad stomachaches and said everything he tried to eat didn’t taste right,” his daughter Sarah said Manchester evening news.

“It got to the point where he couldn’t eat anymore.”

The 55-year-old, from Burnage, Manchester, decided to visit his GP – a battery of tests last week revealed he had end-stage stomach cancer.

Shortly after his diagnosis, medics found that Pete’s tumor had perforated and he was taken to Salford Royal Hospital for urgent surgery.

“It was terrifying for us to see,” Sarah said. “He looked like he was dying.”

The 55-year-old survived the operation, but the tumor perforation caused an infection in his abdomen.

Doctors also found the cancer had spread to his liver and behind his stomach – according to Sarah there was nothing they could do.

They said Pete’s condition was “not great” and estimated he had a few months to live provided he could recover from his surgery and beat the infection.

The uncertainty and shock of his diagnosis was difficult for his family to bear. And to their dismay, they also had to think about his funeral.

Sarah shared that they didn’t save any money for the funeral or to simplify the process as they didn’t expect to get the sad news about Pete.

So she set up a donation page to raise money for her father.

She hopes to use the money to support her father and make the most of the time he has left.

While the money could be used to cover funeral expenses, Sarah also wanted to treat her father to a BMW driving experience.

“We want to spend as much time with him as possible to make his time memorable and to keep up with all of our financial commitments.

“We’ve had some time off from work and are struggling and now we’re worried about money and how to fully support him.”

Pete said he wants to spend Christmas with his family and go out to eat – he’s also hoping to drive an M2 competition BMW as he loves cars, Sarah said.

Pete is fine at the moment, added his daughter. She hoped he would continue to do so in order to have these few experiences with his family.

You can donate to the fundraiser Here.

Digestive problems are therefore very common NHS guidanceand many diseases could be the cause of it – it does not necessarily have to be stomach cancer.

But it is important that you speak to a GP about this. If it’s cancer, early detection means it’s more treatable.

It is recommended to see a GP if you:

• problems swallowing
• a lump in the stomach
• Noticeably lost weight in the last 6 to 12 months without trying
• other symptoms of stomach cancer that worsen or do not improve after 3 weeks
• a condition causing symptoms of your digestion that do not improve after using your usual treatments for 3 weeks