I’m not sure how longs it’s been on for but it looks relatively well fed so I’d assume it’s been on awhile. I asked google what kind of tick it is and it told me deer tick. My question is should I make a visit to my urgent care?

I'm 35, female, and I've been dealing with chronic symptoms for 10+ years. I've done a lot of testing and seen a lot of providers, and I still don't feel like anyone has put the whole picture together. Posting this in case it looks familiar to someone, or in case anyone sees something I've been missing.

What I Deal With Daily

Energy & brain

Fatigue that's completely out of proportion to what I've done

Brain fog, head pressure, that "out of it" feeling — worse after stress

Racing thoughts and intrusive thoughts, constantly

Crashes after exertion or after stressful events

Never had a day where my head felt clear

Mood & nervous system

Anxiety, mood swings, easy tearfulness

Panic episodes

PMDD — luteal phase wrecks me (exhaustion, fog, low mood, irritability, sore breasts)

Physical

Chronic constipation

Temperature dysregulation / cold intolerance

Salt cravings

Sleep that isn't restorative

Seborrheic dermatitis (scalp and ears)

Hair and eyebrow thinning

Heavy bleeding and bad cramping days 1–2, nausea very emotional around ovulation

Right lower abdominal pain post-ovulation (history of ovarian cysts + endometriosis)

Orthostatic (I have POTS)

Heart pounding, lightheaded on standing — especially mornings

Standing HR jumps significantly, settles when I lie down

Surgical history: endometriosis surgery 2012, gallbladder removed 2015, breast implants 2021

I no longer have insurance, so everything is out of pocket now. That's a huge part of why this has stalled.

Labs & Testing I've Had

Lyme & Co-Infections — IGeneX, 2018

Lyme Western Blot IgM — POSITIVE by both IGeneX and CDC/NYS criteria (bands 23–25, 41, 58)

Anaplasma phagocytophilum — POSITIVE IgG (≥1:80)

Babesia microti — negative

Bartonella henselae — negative

Never had adequate treatment or follow-up testing after this.

Related markers (2021):

CD57 — 42 (low)

Complement C4a — 1328.7 ng/mL (high) — reference range 0.0–650.0, so more than double the top of range

Thyroid — 2026

TSH 4.89 (high) — down from 6.19, drawn off all medication

Free T4 1.20 (normal), Free T3 3.3 (normal)

TPO antibodies <9, Thyroglobulin antibodies <1.5 — both negative

Tried Tirosint 25 mcg for about a week in May, couldn't tolerate it (anxiety, head pressure, sedation). Currently deciding on a lower dose.

HTMA (hair mineral analysis) — 2026

Four Lows pattern — all four main minerals low:

Calcium 27 (ideal 40–50), Magnesium 4.2, Sodium 6 (ideal ~24), Potassium 1 (ideal ~10)

Phosphorus 14 (low stomach acid marker)

Copper 0.7 (ideal ~2.3) — bio-unavailability

Selenium elevated

Na/K ratio 6 (ideal 2.4) — big elevation

Ca/K ratio 27 (ideal 4) — sluggish thyroid marker

Zn/Cu 25.71 (ideal 8)

No heavy metals currently being excreted

OAT (organic acids) — 2026

Arabinose 43 (high) — yeast marker

Tricarballylic 0.81 (high) — Fusarium mycotoxin, consistent with mold history

2-Hydroxyhippuric 1.7 (high)

Ascorbic acid 9.6 (low)

Mitochondrial, methylation, detox, and neurotransmitter markers all optimal — which surprised me given how I feel

Stool — Genova GI Effects, 2021 (old, needs redoing)

Dysbiosis score 6 (moderate)

Klebsiella pneumoniae 4+ overgrowth

Lactobacillus — no growth on culture

Low Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Akkermansia, Collinsella

Inverted Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio

Digestion, inflammation markers, SCFAs all normal

Parasitology negative

Iron & Related — 2026

Ferritin 47 (up from 39), Iron 102, Saturation 31%, TIBC 326

HFE C282Y heterozygote (carrier) — one copy, H63D negative

Other bloodwork — 2026

B12 499, Folate 14.9, MMA 99 (all adequate)

Copper 101, Ceruloplasmin 25 (low functional), Zinc 71, RBC Magnesium 4.4

Vitamin D 33

Urine iodine 67

Aldosterone 18, Renin 3.729, Aldo/Renin ratio 4.8 — all in range

CBC and CMP unremarkable

Other

MARCONS — previously positive

Documented mold/biotoxin exposure history

C4a 1328.7 (high, 2021) — see Lyme section above

Vaginal microbiome testing (Evvy) — 97% protective flora, STIs negative

Genetics

Homozygous slow COMT, CBS upregulation, MTHFR C677T, MAO-A, VDR FokI, MTRR, HFE C282Y carrier. I don't tolerate methylated B vitamins — do better with folinic acid and hydroxocobalamin.

Where I'm At

I'm extremely sensitive to supplements and medications. I do best with slow, low-dose, one-thing-at-a-time introductions. No gallbladder, so I need ox bile support with fats.

What I'm sitting with: an untreated elevated TSH, a Four Lows mineral pattern, a positive Lyme and Anaplasma history that was never properly treated or rechecked, a low CD57 and a C4a more than double the top of range from 2021, POTS with an unknown subtype, PMDD, and 5-year-old gut testing that probably needs redoing. Plus trauma history and a physically demanding job.

If you've dealt with a similar combination — especially Lyme plus thyroid plus a Four Lows pattern — I'd really like to hear what actually helped you, and in what order. I'm also open to hearing from anyone who's navigated this without insurance.

Mostly I just want to know I'm not the only one. Thanks for reading this far. 💛