Thanks so much to everyone for your kind and helpful replies.

My mother's doctor's appointment is next Monday and I've printed everything out for consultation with the doctors.

On a good note, my mother has actually been pretty cheerful the past two days and trying to eat. She was able to eat an egg the day before last, though one egg isn't going to sustain her, it's a start at least.

Also, I printed off several posts from this site on the day I made my original posts and gave them to my mother to read. She said they really helped her and made her realize that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. So, on her behalf, I want to thank all of you for this forum and for your wonderful insights.