Help Sara Get TMJ Surgery

HI guys thanks for checking out the page. I'm setting up this page as a way for my girlfriend Sara to get much needed surgery to correct her Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorder (TMJ).

What is TMJ?

Temporomandibular joint disorder is pain in the jaw joint that can be caused by a variety of medical problems. The TMJ connects the lower jaw (mandible) to the skull (temporal bone) in front of the ear. Certain facial muscles control chewing. Problems in this area can cause head and neck pain, facial pain, ear pain, headaches, a jaw that is locked in position or difficult to open, problems biting, and jaw clicking or popping sounds when you bite.

How Did Sara Get TMJ?

When Sara was 4, she fell on face and lost her two front teeth, stunting the growth her left jaw which went undiagnosed until 2013, leading to deformities of both jaws.

Her History:

When she was 18, she awoke with her jaw locked closed, which stayed locked for 20 minutes. Eventually, her jaw opened. Later on that year, she began experiencing severe daily jaw pain, debilitating headaches, and temporary jaw locking which have worsened over the last four years (to date, Sara's jaw has been permanently locked closed since June 2014, and odds are if you've met or talked with Sara since we've started dating, she's had a headache or some form of jaw pain.)

After consulting with a doctor later in 2010, Sara was diagnosed with TMJD.  The doctor recommended an orthodic device and medication to treat the disorder. Initially, she had some minor success with the devices and medication, but has never found true relief.

After several years of failed devices and medications which only provided temporary relief, Sara finally got good news, there is a doctor who specializes in TMJD and can help her. He discovered that her condition is not simply TMJD, but that the discs which allow the jaws to move and open normally have been diminished and dislocated. Unfortunately, her insurance company won't cover the surgery.

Why So Much?

The doctor's fee alone, seeing he is a leader in TMJD research and surgery, is about $38,000 for both sides of her jaw to be repaired. After hospital fees, orthodontics, anesthesia, and travel/living expenses the surgery will cost well over $60,000.