My heart goes out to your Mom & to you for helping her! Get her on this bulletin board. She'll find comfort & maybe some tips. I have a hard time with cereals, cold or hot. They make me cough! Soups that aren't too acidic, chili w/beans, mashed potatoes & gravy, anything with a sauce. I can now eat a burger or sandwiches if there's enough mayo & tomatoes! Most meats are hard to swallow, even after chewing & chewing. I CAN get anything down with enough milk to wash it down! Tell her not to give up. She will have to keep trying different foods till she finds things that work. I remember I kept trying to eat the things I used to & coughing & choking so much & being so frustrated I just didn't want to eat. It takes effort. Fresh vegetables steamed till soft with lots of butter & salt go down real easy, are delicious, & good for you. Last night for example, we had medium rare barbecued ribeye steak, fresh steamed asparagus w/butter, tomato & gorgonzola soup, garlic baghettes with lots of butter & milk! Yum, yum! The steak & the bread we're tough to swallow, but the rest went right down. I ate till my gut hurt! I have only been able to eat enough to give myself a gut ache recently! I'm not sure if that's good or not, but I can do it again anyway! Tell her to keep trying. Treat eating like physical therapy & just keep at it! It will get better! Erik