Lynne, thanks for checking in. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your dear daddy.
I think it is wonderful that he has a goal, and great that you are all being supportive and helping him meet it. Because you truly never know. Is there someone in your family doing the due diligence on this disease? The internet is chock full of scholarly article references and recent news about various cancer treatments. You just have to sift carefully.
The important thing to remember is that none of these doctors is all-knowing, and it is necessary for someone who can keep a clear head to serve as a "patient advocate." I'm not saying the doctors are going to be wrong, but when it comes to chemotherapy, there are a number of different treatments and it is extremely important for someone in the family to have a good handle on what has been selected and why. This may take a lot of reading.
It is also important to know that even if your dear dad is not tolerating the first kind of chemo, there are second- and even third-line options. Pancreatic cancer is brutal, and there is currently no cure once it has metastasized, however there are newer chemotherapy-like drugs called Avastin and Tarceva (sometimes taken together when insurance covers it -- they are very very expensive!!) that are easily tolerated and can extend life. They may or may not work for your dad, but they also may be worth trying if he is responding at all to conventional treatment.
Whatever he ends up starting with, be sure to read up on the side effects, as they can be severe. Platinum-based chemotherapies, for example, can often cause permanent hearing loss. It is something to prepare for in addition to everything else. Cancer treatment is a fearsome journey, and a logistical nightmare, but it doesn't have to be unbearable.
Best of luck to all of you as you go through this difficult time. And I want to second Paula's reference to hospice. If at any time your dad decides to decline treatment, the very first call I would make is to hospice. They are flat-out wonderful people, not just in providing services to the terminally ill but in giving information and comfort to the families. True angels on earth IMO.
