“My Family Knew, But I Didn’t”: Man Reveals He Spent Two Years in Hospital Without Knowing His HIV Status
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Davis Kana has recounted his difficult journey with a prolonged illness, revealing that his family knew he was HIV positive before he was informed of his diagnosis by medical personnel.
Speaking during an interview on the Cleopatra Wanjiku Podcast , Kana described how he spent years seeking treatment as his health continued to deteriorate, without understanding the cause of his condition.
He said doctors had communicated his HIV status to members of his family, but he remained unaware of the diagnosis, a situation he attributed partly to the stigma surrounding HIV at the time.
“But all of my relatives had known. Everyone had been informed. They all knew what I was suffering from . In those days, who even mentioned me? The stigma was very high,” Davis said.
Davis Kana Reveals Doctors Kept His HIV Status From Him During Two-Year Hospital Stay
Kana also recalled the high levels of HIV-related stigma during that period, saying the fear and shame associated with the disease made people reluctant to discuss it openly.
He described an incident involving a woman who visited the hospital, saying he became suspicious that she was there to see someone living with HIV.
However, he said he did not initially believe the discussion concerned him because he had not been told that he was HIV positive.
“One thing is, I don’t know her. I didn’t know if she was talking about me or about… But I knew she was coming to see someone she didn’t know. But she wanted to know how they were getting along,” Kana said.
Kana traced his health struggles to a period when he was involved in business importing stamps from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Mombasa.
He said he became seriously ill while working in the Congo region, prompting his friends to take him to Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, where he was admitted for about two weeks.
After being discharged, Kana returned to his business but fell ill again. He was later advised to continue seeking treatment in Kenya.
Upon crossing the border, he said he was taken to Bungoma Hospital, where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).
Kana recalled believing that treatment would help him recover, but his condition continued to deteriorate despite receiving medication.
After spending about two weeks in Bungoma, he managed to contact his sister, who was living in Nakuru. His relatives subsequently took him to hospital in Nakuru, where he was admitted in 2000.
He said he was discharged after about a month but was rushed back to hospital the following night when his condition became critical.
The cycle of repeated admissions and discharges continued as he sought treatment without making the recovery he had hoped for.
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He further recounted how his health deteriorated to the point that he weighed only 25 kilogrammes.
Kana said a doctor eventually spoke privately with his brothers and sisters, leaving them in tears but he, did not initially understand why his relatives were distressed.
The doctor later instructed medical staff not to readmit him, telling them that he should spend his remaining time recovering at home.
Kana said he was extremely weak at the time but still hoped to regain his ability to walk.
He recalled questioning the decision, saying he had gone to hospital hoping to recover his mobility, only to find himself being discharged while still seriously ill.
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Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his diagnosis, Kana said he underwent diagnostic testing but did not receive what he considered adequate counselling.
He distinguished the process from voluntary counselling and testing, arguing that the testing was conducted to establish the cause of his repeated hospital admissions without properly explaining the results to him.
In addition, Kana recounted the personal difficulties he experienced during his illness, saying his wife left him as his condition worsened.
He said he eventually stayed with his younger brother after leaving his home, as he struggled to cope with his deteriorating health.
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A screengrab of Davis Kana and Wanjiku during the podactas session with Wanjiku. Photo/Cleopatra Wanjiku Podcast