I don’t know how to make anything short sweet & to the point, especially something that has impacted my life so much. I apologize for that in advance.

My name is Kelly! I’m a mom of 3 & a rainbow-loving hair color consultant & enthusiast. I have struggled with TMJ & jaw related issues for the last 5 years, but the past year has been a particular struggle.

Around mid August 2024, I developed a rare condition & my jaw locked shut. I went from having a normal mouth opening of 40mm to an opening of 18mm, or less than half of its regular function. Imagine having the mouth width & ability to eat a big cheeseburger, then waking up & only having the mouth width to eat a couple of crackers. This is my reality. It caused my entire world to flip upside down overnight.

I now live in 24/7 chronic pain at a level 9-10/10 on the pain scale. I have had to switch to a mostly liquid diet because 1. I can’t fit most things in my mouth and 2. chewing causes intense nerve pain in my jaw & neck. If I eat solids it’s things like mac & cheese, and even that hurts & I end up paying for it. I am under my pre pregnancy weight for the first time since I was 19 (I am 35) & I am getting smaller. Aside from eating & the weight I’ve lost, I have lost function to my face & neck in so many ways you would never even think of; my airway is constricted & I don’t breathe as easily as I used to, I don’t swallow the same way, I constantly have to clear my throat, it hurts to talk, smile, do any type of activities big or small from video games to concerts, sing, laugh, cry, or express any type of emotion whatsoever. Due to this, I have had to learn to suppress all of my emotions & live in a state of dissociation to prevent making facial expressions, having crying episodes & panic attacks which cause me SEVERE pain. I can’t do regular basic functions to help bring joy & relieve stress very often, like watching something funny on TV or doing fun things with loved ones. Laughing and smiling stings and aches, it makes it impossible to have any fun or enjoy myself. I can’t even sing when I’m driving around in the car because it stings, burns & aches my jaws & neck. I can’t cry when I’m sad because I get intense nerve pain & a feeling of “salt in the wound” deep inside of my jaw joints. I feel like I have lost all the parts of me that make me a human & every other day, I lose something else. I try to wake up everyday and be positive, go to work, take care of my kids, just be normal. But most days I sleep a lot and feel like this condition has ruined my life.

I have been diagnosed with:

•Anterior disc displacement without reduction in my right TMJ (“TMJ lockjaw” AKA the part of my diagnosis that keeps my jaw locked shut)

•Disc displacement with reduction in my left TMJ

•Degenerative osteoarthritis in both TMJs

•An osteophyte (bone spur) in the right TMJ

and lastly

•Degenerative, thinning disc in my left TMJ. That means my jaw is basically bone-on-bone on that side.

In order to get my life back, I need to see my TMJ reconstructive surgeon (who is located in Florida, I am in Kentucky) to have bilateral discectomy surgery with fat grafts. I would have the privilege of gaining function back to my face, jaw & neck, and I would be in a lot less pain. The surgery I need is $55,000, which is not including my currently unknown hospital fees. Unfortunately this will not be an insurance approved surgery for me. Initially, I was under the impression I that would be able to do a payment plan for this procedure, but it ended up that will not be possible for me. So I will need to raise the whole entire amount & have it fully paid before I can have my procedure.

At the moment, I need to raise another $35,000 to have my surgery. Potentially a little more to help cover the costs of travel, airbnbs/hotels, my follow up appointments & MRIs to make sure I am healing properly, my hospital stay, & devices for my mouth that will help me heal.

If I don’t have the surgery, my jaw joints will continue to deteriorate & flatten. There are a lot of scary unknowns with that:

•Potentially developing avascular necrosis (AKA death to the condyle, the bone literally dying)

•Airway continuing to get smaller

•Needing bigger, more invasive, more expensive surgeries in the future

•Never being able to have a cleaning or a cavity filled or any dental work done

•Nerve pain in my face & neck worsening

•Even less of an ability to eat & talk, among every other function the jaw joints do

•Worsening depression & anxiety, which is already at it’s all-time high

And these are just a short list of the first things off the top of my head.

The TMJs, or the jaw joints, are the most used joints in the body & are also the most misunderstood & overlooked in the medical field. Not only is there not enough research funneled into this chronic condition, insurance looks at these necessary, life saving/changing surgeries as “cosmetic” or “unnecessary.” It leaves people like me feeling very hopeless, like we’ve fallen between the cracks.

Any donations are appreciated, no matter the amount. I am a girl at her most desperate. Please help me to hit my surgery goal so I can have my life back. Much love