Aspiration pneumonia is very serious. Norman Brinker,( the millionaire husband behind the Susan Komen breast cancer foundation) battled throat cancer and he stubbornly refused to accept that he could not swallow until he died of aspiration pneumonia after dining out on vacation in Colorado. (He had been airlifted from an European vacation years before for aspirating while trying to eat) Of course, it's not your PEG that is causing the aspiration pneumonia, it's your swallowing directly to your lungs instead of going down to the stomach. I have to spit out my phlegm all the time to avoid the same issue.
As far as the extra mile, I see from your posts that you have had the barium studies, but as Christine mentioned, have you tried VitalStim? My speech therapist gave me six months of it as I was bound and determined to eat again. While it did not work for me, it has helped others. Here is a link to their webpage explaining it. My insurance covered it.
What is Vitalstim
Only after two speech therapists, my ENT, the RO and the plastic surgeon all said they did not see how I could ever swallow without aspiration did I stop after a year.
Last, but hardly least, you have had your PEG tube more than long enough to switch to a button or low profile. They have them for regular G tubes (PEG) as well as G/J tubes like Christine has. I hope you do not need a tube all your life, but if you do need one for longer than six months, the low profile button is the way to go. so many less complications and the biggest advantage is less granulation tissue.
Good luck and best wishes.