Hi 8Dawn, I had the "tube" for 2 months post radiation, and probably should have kept it for another month or two. It hurt to swallow and everything, including water, tasted horrible.
I also couldn't make the swallowing muscles work right. The pain went away after about 1 month, the taste turned from horrible to no taste (an improvement actually), and the swallowing started working again after 2 months. I am alot younger than your father, so i probably healed a little faster. Also the "tube" kept me going during treatment, so I recovered faster.
You need to work this out with his doctor to keep an eye on his conditon.
I wish doctors would make everyone get a PEG, and if they don't need it, fine. But it would be there just in case.
O-O