I am so sorry to hear about your dad. It really stinks to have to go through any of this. My husband was dx in Sept 06 and they really never told us a stage, but we figured it was III by everything they were doing. Anyway his doctor made him do chemo first and then the surgery. The first chemo was for 8 weeks non-stop. He had the pump 24/7 for 8 weeks and every 3 weeks they blasted him with other chemo. He was supposed to go 9 weeks but he had to drop the pump for 1 week because he was getting pretty sick. But basically he handled the chemo very well. The chemo shrunk the tumor out of sight before the surgery. Anyway I'm telling you all this because after surgery he had about 2 months to recup and then the docs started him back on radiation and chemo. What they called "mop up" chemo, just to be sure it was all gone. With his "new" body the way it was after the surgery, the chemo and radiation was absolutely terrible. He was in bed and in and out of the hospital pretty much the whole time he was doing the treatments. He was finally done in Sept. almost exactly a year from dx. Starting lbs. before surgery was about 260 and he is now struggling at about 182. Every day is a fight to eat, just no desire for him to eat. But he is getting back to himself again. He no longer needs a nap everyday and he comes and goes whenever. And the best part is that he has had two clear ct scans since September. I'm sorry to ramble, I just want you to know that I felt the same way you did last year. I worried that he would never get better and now he is doing great. Keep telling your dad he'll get through it and help him any way you can. You're doing so much for him just by being with him. I wish you and your dad all the luck to get through this. Still today if someone mentions how absolutely horrible last year must have been for my husband, he just says, "What was the alternative?" This was what had to be done if he wanted to survive, and he did it. Your dad is doing it too. These treatments and surgery may be the hardest thing he's ever gone through physically, but take it one day at a time, one day at a time. Keep us up to date on your dad and take care.
-Becky