Help us Save Jenn's Jaw! Surgery Fundraiser
Donation protected
In 2006, my best friend Jennifer Johnson (now Lourenco) was in a terrible car accident, and couldn't move her neck at all afterwards - Jenn needed to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance. She later went to a chiropractor, who referred her to a TMJ specialist, after she complained of ear pain.
From emedicinehealth.com: "Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome is a 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 that control chewing are also attached to the lower jaw"
Jenn had 3 surgeries within 6 months on her jaw, and was told she would need more surgeries in the future. The pain got worse, and Jenn was referred to surgeon after surgeon in the Northern NJ area. Some tried to help with injections, Botox, pain killers, acupuncture, physical therapy, others tried night guards, stim machines stuck in her ears, and massage. Nothing helped, and eventually each doctor would tell her "I'm sorry, I can't help you anymore. I don't know why you're in so much pain."
Jenn went to 10 different Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons - none of them could figure out why she was having so much terrible, sometimes debilitating pain.
In 2012 Jenn was involved in another car accident - she was stopped at a red light, and a truck slammed into her tiny sports car. This accident happened only 6 months after surgery #6 - and Jenn was forced to need another surgery, from the trauma of that accident, and from not being fully healed from surgery #6. After this accident, Jenn was unable to work due to the severity of the pain, and applied for disability.
Throughout the last 13 years, Jenn has had a total of 13 surgeries for TMJ. She has seen the same surgeon for the last 8 years, and he performed the last 7 surgeries. He has twice performed a bilateral total jaw replacement on her jaw - the first time, she was highly allergic to the metal, and needed to have her jaw wired shut for 2 months, while full titanium joints were made. The full titanium joints were put in - but there still wasn't an explanation for Jenn's extreme pain. After TWO YEARS of complaining about her pain, her surgeon finally did a blood test - and found that she had a major bacterial infection in the right joint. Another surgery was needed, this time to remove the metal on the right side, place a spacer where the joint was. Jenn had a PICC line for 9 weeks to get rid of the infection.
Jenn now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Dave, and their 3 cats. She travels back and forth to North Jersey and Staten Island for her current surgeon and follow up appointments.
Thomas, Jenn's twin brother, searched and found the best doctor in the USA, for TMJ syndrome, in St. Petersburg Florida. Jenn and her husband Dave made the trip in early October 2019, for a more than 12 hour long appointment full of tests - at a doctor's office who doesn't accept insurance. The $2000 bill proved worthwhile - the surgeon sat with Jenn for almost 2 hours, and for the first time, she found a doctor who LISTENED, and who made her feel like her her complaints were valid. After so many doctors turned her away and said they weren't able to help - there was hope.
A detailed plan was presented, which required a two-week long trip to St. Petersburg Florida in the beginning of December 2019 to remove the plastic spacer and replace it with a fat graph. Jenn had braces put on a few days before the surgery and will be partially wired shut for 9 months while the fat graph settles into place. Jenn and Dave returned home just a few days before Christmas. She was in a ton of pain and unable to find a local doctor who wasn't quoting $1000 per ketamine infusion.
Jenn flies back to Florida on Wednesday 1/8 for 20 days, for ketamine infusions at the Piper Clinic. Each treatment is $500. Although the bill is high, these treatments should provide immense amounts of pain relief for up to 6 months, allowing Jenn to focus on rest and healing. Jenn's brother-in-law Carter will be staying with her for the first 5 days of this trip, then she will be on her own for 10 days (unless we can find someone last minute to generously help with care-giving!!); and then Dave will join her for the last 5 days.
*Ketamine infusions will be everyday, 5 days in a row, followed by a 10-day break, followed by another 5 day span of treatments - $5,000.00 every 6 months* During the 10 day break Jenn needs to pay for a hotel & rental car (during the 5 day treatments she will have housing and transportation provided by the Piper Clinic)
Jenn will need to go to St. Petersburg 6 more times in the following 15 months for surgery and follow-up appointments. After this, she will need at least one more surgery to take the metal out of her left side, and replace it with a rib graph. Eventually she will need a rib graph on her right side to have her bite fixed and be able to chew "normally" again.
Financially -
*Nerve block injections - $1,800-$2,400 each + travel to Clifton NJ twice a week, starting November 12, 2019.
*Each surgery is $40,000+ (The Piper Clinic does not accept any insurance)
*Airfare
*Hotels
*Food
*Not to mention bills at home don't stop while they are back and forth to Florida!
Jenn is very optimistic about the long road coming up - after all she has been through she desperately deserves a pain-free life!! Please consider donating, and if you are unable to donate, please, please share Jenn's story!!
A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED! IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!
From emedicinehealth.com: "Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome is a 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 that control chewing are also attached to the lower jaw"
Jenn had 3 surgeries within 6 months on her jaw, and was told she would need more surgeries in the future. The pain got worse, and Jenn was referred to surgeon after surgeon in the Northern NJ area. Some tried to help with injections, Botox, pain killers, acupuncture, physical therapy, others tried night guards, stim machines stuck in her ears, and massage. Nothing helped, and eventually each doctor would tell her "I'm sorry, I can't help you anymore. I don't know why you're in so much pain."
Jenn went to 10 different Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons - none of them could figure out why she was having so much terrible, sometimes debilitating pain.
In 2012 Jenn was involved in another car accident - she was stopped at a red light, and a truck slammed into her tiny sports car. This accident happened only 6 months after surgery #6 - and Jenn was forced to need another surgery, from the trauma of that accident, and from not being fully healed from surgery #6. After this accident, Jenn was unable to work due to the severity of the pain, and applied for disability.
Throughout the last 13 years, Jenn has had a total of 13 surgeries for TMJ. She has seen the same surgeon for the last 8 years, and he performed the last 7 surgeries. He has twice performed a bilateral total jaw replacement on her jaw - the first time, she was highly allergic to the metal, and needed to have her jaw wired shut for 2 months, while full titanium joints were made. The full titanium joints were put in - but there still wasn't an explanation for Jenn's extreme pain. After TWO YEARS of complaining about her pain, her surgeon finally did a blood test - and found that she had a major bacterial infection in the right joint. Another surgery was needed, this time to remove the metal on the right side, place a spacer where the joint was. Jenn had a PICC line for 9 weeks to get rid of the infection.
Jenn now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Dave, and their 3 cats. She travels back and forth to North Jersey and Staten Island for her current surgeon and follow up appointments.
Thomas, Jenn's twin brother, searched and found the best doctor in the USA, for TMJ syndrome, in St. Petersburg Florida. Jenn and her husband Dave made the trip in early October 2019, for a more than 12 hour long appointment full of tests - at a doctor's office who doesn't accept insurance. The $2000 bill proved worthwhile - the surgeon sat with Jenn for almost 2 hours, and for the first time, she found a doctor who LISTENED, and who made her feel like her her complaints were valid. After so many doctors turned her away and said they weren't able to help - there was hope.
A detailed plan was presented, which required a two-week long trip to St. Petersburg Florida in the beginning of December 2019 to remove the plastic spacer and replace it with a fat graph. Jenn had braces put on a few days before the surgery and will be partially wired shut for 9 months while the fat graph settles into place. Jenn and Dave returned home just a few days before Christmas. She was in a ton of pain and unable to find a local doctor who wasn't quoting $1000 per ketamine infusion.
Jenn flies back to Florida on Wednesday 1/8 for 20 days, for ketamine infusions at the Piper Clinic. Each treatment is $500. Although the bill is high, these treatments should provide immense amounts of pain relief for up to 6 months, allowing Jenn to focus on rest and healing. Jenn's brother-in-law Carter will be staying with her for the first 5 days of this trip, then she will be on her own for 10 days (unless we can find someone last minute to generously help with care-giving!!); and then Dave will join her for the last 5 days.
*Ketamine infusions will be everyday, 5 days in a row, followed by a 10-day break, followed by another 5 day span of treatments - $5,000.00 every 6 months* During the 10 day break Jenn needs to pay for a hotel & rental car (during the 5 day treatments she will have housing and transportation provided by the Piper Clinic)
Jenn will need to go to St. Petersburg 6 more times in the following 15 months for surgery and follow-up appointments. After this, she will need at least one more surgery to take the metal out of her left side, and replace it with a rib graph. Eventually she will need a rib graph on her right side to have her bite fixed and be able to chew "normally" again.
Financially -
*Nerve block injections - $1,800-$2,400 each + travel to Clifton NJ twice a week, starting November 12, 2019.
*Each surgery is $40,000+ (The Piper Clinic does not accept any insurance)
*Airfare
*Hotels
*Food
*Not to mention bills at home don't stop while they are back and forth to Florida!
Jenn is very optimistic about the long road coming up - after all she has been through she desperately deserves a pain-free life!! Please consider donating, and if you are unable to donate, please, please share Jenn's story!!
A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED! IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Alison Korabik
Organizer
Bensalem Township, PA
Jennifer Lourenco
Beneficiary