Disabled queer weirdo needs TMJ treatment

Hi there! I'm Linden. I've had diagnosed TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunction since adolescence. Now in my 40's, it's gotten really bad over the years and I desperately need treatment. I can't live like this. It's only going to get worse over time.

Thing is... There's a local specialist who's very highly recommended by professionals, but... She doesn't accept any forms of insurance, and the exams are well out of my ability to pay out of pocket. I'll need an initial consultation, as well as multiple follow-ups.

This condition severely impacts my quality of life. In addition to the daily chronic pain, I cannot eat certain foods. Like... No, seriously, I physically cannot even chew certain foods. There are a lot of foods that I can chew, but will leave me in pain for the rest of the day if I do. I can't live on smoothies and soup alone.

Every time I open my jaw more than it takes to speak, it cracks loudly (and hurts). It makes friends flinch and shudder, and multiple dentists have recoiled at the sound and voiced their serious concerns (which is how I got the referral to this specialist).

I cannot fully open my jaw. I need to make sure I sleep in a very specific position on one side every night, otherwise I'll wake up in massive pain. I don't know how to explain just how much this affects me literally every single moment of every single day.

I really don't want to have to give more of a sob story to earn compassion or empathy or to tug on anyone's heartstrings, but I'm a trans/genderqueer lesbian on top of being chronically ill with fibromyalgia. I'm on Medicaid and absolutely terrified of losing it on top of needing to pay out of pocket for this.

I'm hoping to at least cover the initial exam/consultation, and at least a couple follow-ups and possibly diagnostic imaging. I don't yet know whether I'll need surgery, although that is quite possible.

For transparency's sake:

Initial exam: $645

Subsequent visits/follow-ups: $370/each (estimating I'll need at least two)

CBCT scan (if it's determined it's required): $370