My Open Heart Surgery Expenses

I am experiencing congestive heart failure and sever aortic regurgitation due to a heart defect I was born with. I will need to travel 1000 miles to Cleveland to see the premier heart surgeon in America. According to my cardiologist, he is the only surgeon in the country who can do this 'right'. I am trying desperately to get this surgery before the end of the year.
While insurance SHOULD cover most of this, they do not cover travel expensive, bills that need to be paid during my recovery and insurance companies tend to fight you every step of the way, so I have no idea how much money we'll actually need.
Without this surgery, it's certain that will die sometime in the next 5 years. The more money we have ready and on-hand, the faster we can move on this.
Making this GoFundMe thing makes me extremely uncomfortable, but a dear friend pointed out some things to me and it occurs to me that there are too many variables and everything in life always costs more than we expect.
So, if this works, it will help greatly.