Hi mlg121-
This sounds a lot like what my husband is experiencing, you are not alone! Sounds like my hubby is about 10 days ahead of your dad in treatment - 3rd chemo is tomorrow, and he's at about 25 rads so far.

Food/drink by mouth became pretty much impossible about a week ago. Prior to that, everything tasted vile to him. Even water, though he still sips a bit of water. While he was still able to eat, I tried all kinds of things - made sorbet with pureed fruits, pureed and strained soups, etc. Whatever worked "that day" didn't last long, so just keep trying different things, no solution will be permanent.

My husband is on Jevity, and he isn't digesting it well. He is taking FAR LESS than the nutritionist advised and has lost 30+ pounds, but he had plenty to spare, so the docs aren't too concerned yet. It sits in his tummy like a gut bomb and goes nowhere. After a couple of hours, his body just says, "Nope! Don't like this stuff" and up it comes.

So, against the advice of the home health nurse who taught us about the PEG tube, we're putting things OTHER than Jevity down the tube. Mainly Ensure and also those Naked-brand smoothies you can buy in the produce section. I strain them through a fine sieve and then thin them a bit because some of the flavors are pretty viscous. Again, the nurse advised against this, but we're doing it anyway because it keeps him from vomiting. He's still getting in 1-2 cans of Jevity a day along with the juice and Ensure, and plenty of water.

He also is putting mint tea thru the tube. Never one to believe herbal/wholistic medicine, he DOES swear that this has helped to settle his stomach. I lace it with plenty of honey for a bit of extra calories/nutrition.

All of this, as you are probably learning, has to be carefully timed... besides timing it w/ the meds, he also has to not eat if he has any plans to clean his mouth/throat in the next hour or so, as that causes gagging/retching, and then the food comes up. He waits until his stomach is empty, cleans his throat, then rests/recovers from that, then starts in w/ food & meds (crushed). By the time he's done, he's pretty tired, and the pain meds have kicked in and he sleeps for a few hours. Then, wakes up and starts it all again.

Also, my husband feels "full" after only about a 1/2 a can, so it's a struggle to get much in to him. He has to try several times a day - it's a career, LOL.

Good luck, hang tough, and your dad is lucky to have you!