21/08/2024
As promised, here is my long awaited fundraiser to help me finally get my TMJ treated!
I've been living with TMJ (Temporomandibular Disorder) for as long as I can remember.
When I was about 16, my voice teacher told me, "Okay, Ben. Drop your jaw..." I replied, "This is as far as I can go before the click happens."
"The click???"
I had no idea that this wasn't something everyone experienced.
Imagine your jaw can only open about 85% of the way—and to open it fully, it has to sort of click or pop into place.
Yes, it's painful. And yes, after normal use, that clicking and popping becomes even more painful. Sometimes, it's so painful that I can't even eat—not even cereal.
There have been times (thankfully only a handful) when my jaw got locked open, and I had to use my hands to force it closed.
Over the past 25+ years, I've gone to massage therapists, dentists, orthodontists, acupuncturists, and even a pain management doctor for Botox... Nothing helped.
This is Dr. Barry Chase — he is THE doctor in New York City who is confident he can fix me! After 25 years of being told "There's nothing that can be done."
The only problem is, he doesn't take insurance. However, he gave me a free consultation, took a 3D image of my teeth, and did a 3D X-ray on a special machine with custom software that, as he described it, lets him "basically stand on the back of my tongue and look around inside my skull."
THE PROGNOSIS IS EXCELLENT!
Even though he looked at me sadly and said, "Your case should never have been allowed to deteriorate to such a state," he also said there's no permanent damage and that all of this is reversible!
At this stage, my jaw no longer clicks or pops. I almost wish it still did. Instead, it's turned into what's called "crepitus." When my jaw opens and closes, it sounds like crunching glass and sand (see the video above).
I don't know how loud it sounds to others—people tell me they can hear it sitting across from me. For me, it's happening right next to my ear, so it sounds really loud.
And yes, this is TMI—but you can imagine how, during intimate moments, people freak out when my jaw sounds like a rusty, creaking door hinge.
The solution is simple: he's going to make a custom device (actually two of them)—one that I wear as much as possible during the day, and one I wear every night. Over time, it will bring my jaw forward so that my jaw hinge sits correctly in the socket, no longer pinching the disc of cartilage that allows it to move smoothly.
Yes, I cried right there in his office. You would too. His bedside manner was incredible. The way he listened, cared, and reassured me was beyond comforting.
Now, the only problem is, even with what must be a heavily discounted rate, it will still cost me $1,900 out of pocket.
I went ahead and put a $250 deposit on my credit card so that we can at least get started making the device.
I don't know what the road to recovery looks like, but he's been very confident, reassuring me that my case will be easy to fix. I couldn't believe it when I heard that. It's almost too good to be true.
But this man told me—there are only two people in all of NYC who know how to treat TMJ. Luckily, I went to the guy who offers a free consultation because, as he said, "I believe everyone should have equal access to top-notch healthcare."
Please consider sharing this video/GoFundMe and contributing whatever you can.
I'm usually fundraising for other people. It's not often I ask for something like this for myself. But I'm trusting that if I cast a wide enough net, the burden won't fall too heavily on any one pair of shoulders.
Thank you so much!
I've been living with TMJ (Temporomandibular Disorder) for as long as I can remem… Honey LaBronx needs your support for Help Ben Overcome 25-Years of TMJ Pain
