Pittsburgh woman shares message after Lyme disease diagnosis

A Pittsburgh woman is left forever changed after being diagnosed with Lyme disease.

"I had neurological Lyme. It affected my neurological systems," said Krista Mazefsky. "I wouldn't say you really beat it."

More than six months after her diagnosis, she still can't fully move the left side of her face  

"You could tell when I talk, everything's coming from this side. This eyebrow doesn't go all the way up, tooth damage, it paralyzes your salivary glands," Mazefsky said. 

As the warmer months approach, Mazefsky turned her experience into a warning that she posted on TikTok. It has thousands of views and likes.

"I was never checking for ticks or anything after being outside," Mazefsky said.

Mazefsky said she had no idea she had been bitten by a tick last year. All of a sudden, she started not feeling well. She was in and out of the hospital and lost feeling on one side of her face; then, facial paralysis.

After a month, on July 1, 2025, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

"I never saw a rash. I never saw a tick. I did feel sick before my face became paralyzed, but I feel the symptoms are so vague," Mazefsky said.

Nathan Shively, an infectious disease expert with Allegheny Health Network, shared tips on how people can protect themselves. 

"Apply insect repellent or wear long sleeves or longer pants," said Shively, who is not Mazefsky's doctor. "But I think one of the most important things to do is, whenever you get home from being outside, even in your own backyard, honestly, is to do a tick check."

Shively says the first 24 to 36 hours are the most crucial. He said to get the tick off your body before it bites and transmits diseases.

"They're very small, and you want to make sure that you check areas along your hairline, in your armpits, going along the waistline," Shively said. 

Experts say early detection is key. Now, Mazefsky hopes her story helps someone avoid the same fate.

"Whenever I go outside, I always come in and check. Don't be afraid to go outside or live, but be aware," she said.