Welcome to OCF. Make sure your Mom doesn't have disease in her jawbone, <ine was removed in Pittsburgh to replace it by making one out of titanium or something. @ weeks later I was tolds if they replace it I would be back in a couple of weeks to have it removed again. It seems my jawbone was full of MERSA and would continually worsen and I would end up without a jawbone again. I asked the Dr if ZI could live with just this feeding tube. He said I could but really had no choice unless I wanted to keep going thru surgeries;' I chose the feeding tube. It's been several months of me and the canned food, but I am alive and doing as much as possible to be normal. It's a rough life hbut can be done. Just be sure of her options and what is going on.. Good luck to your Mother , but most of all be sure. I think I would have kept the diseased jawbone now.