By: Poelano Malema
2021 has been a difficult year for Criselda Kananda.
The social activist took to Instagram to share the health difficulties she faced this year.
Kananda, who has been battling with HIV for over 20 years, said she started taking her ARVs this year.
“This year I started ARV’s,” she wrote on Instagram.
Last year, Kananda wrote about how COVID-19 had worsened things for those living with HIV.
“Many persons living with HIV, Diabetic and Cancer Survivors including many others who have immuno compromised health, this is a difficult period for us. The constant cleaning of surfaces, sanitizing, disinfecting and covered breathing though very necessary it unfortunately leads to unintended consequences. The immune system becomes lazy giving strength to any existing bugs in our bodies. After years of fighting My fighter cells are disarmed.
“I’m out of danger SARS-Covid free(negative) but the HIV in my body is having a live concert. This means I have to start ARV’s after 22yrs of living healthy with HIV. My immune system now needs help,” she wrote on IG.
Living with HIV is not the only thing Kananda is dealing with.
She recently had to remove her bladder and tested positive for COVID-19.
READ: ‘I survived COVID-19 Pneumonia’ says Dr Criselda Kananda
Taking to Instagram, Kananda wrote that she “survived removal of gall bladder,” and she “completely healed from covid pneumonia.”
Kananda also wrote about her divorce and the financial challenges she has faced.
“Finally Divorced, lost a lot of money,” she wrote.
READ: Criselda Kananda on changing her surname after divorce: ‘It’s a lot’
But despite all the pain she has gone through, the 52-year-old says she is “alive with possibilities”.
“I’m every woman it’s all in me,” she wrote.
Read the heartfelt post below.