Stephany, there are different types of feeding tubes that work in similar ways. Mine was a direct tube into my stomach through the skin and tissues with a 6-8" tail and I was given a large injector thing for putting food, meds, etc., into the tube. It also had a stopper that could be used to push things through if they got stuck. Try to avoid anything that might get stuck in the tube. Stick to liquids only for the first bit. If you have a problem, Pepsi worked on mine to free up any blockages. Also used baking soda.

Generally, the tube can be inserted by a doctor as soon as you can get a schedule to have one inserted. The worst part about the insertion is when they put the camera feed down your nose and past your voice box into the stomach so they can see what they are doing. The actual insertion is no big thing.

I had no side effects at all. Just have her keep it out of the water when showering for the first 10 days. After that, normal showering is OK. Don't suggest baths or swimming, though, as soaking it can cause problems I've been told.

I don't think the airway is an issue if the throat is not working. Have mom breathe through her nose and it should be OK. Of course, I'm not a doctor, but have not heard of anyone having breathing problems because of a feeding tube.

Try to keep her drinking if at all possible. Some on the site have had issues with swallowing after not using the mouth for a while. I used only the tube for about 4 weeks or so as I couldn't swallow at all due to the rad treatments, not even my own saliva. But I had no long term problems and am swallowing everything these days. In fact, I have regained a fair amount of weight and am now watching what I eat.

Other than the stopping up of the tube, I had no problems with mine. Try not to put anything but liguids through the tube and you should be alright. God bless.