Social media influencer and survivor, Gena Tew, reveals the moment she discovered she had AIDS.
The following is a transcript of the conversation between Karl and Gena.
GENA
So, like, when they told me, “Did you know you have AIDS? I’m just, kind of, like “what?”
KARL
Hello there, welcome to “Plus Talk,” on Plus Life. We’re all about turning positive into a plus. And, today, Gena Twe, it’s all about you. Good to see you, Gena.
GENA
It’s good to see you as well. How are you?
KARL
I’m well. And, I wanna ask you how you are because you have shown an an amazing amount of resilience and strength. This has been quite a year for you. I mean, you know, we talk about an HIV diagnosis. You went straight to the top of the class and went with.
GENA
Yeah.
KARL
Full blown AIDS. Tell us about those early moments, and, you know, you share it on your TikTok, but how does that all register and compute with you?
GENA
When it was all happening, like, I was so out of it when they told me, because I had went down so fast, my mental just wasn’t really there. So, like, when they told me, “Did you know you had AIDS?” I’m just, kind of, like, “what?” Like, it just didn’t compute all the way, and then I just, my mental just kept getting even more away from me, that it didn’t really hit me until the middle of being in the hospital that I’m like, “I hate it here. I wanted to stop,” you know? I didn’t really realize how deep I was in when I was told that I had AIDS.
KARL
But, you don’t hold anything back on the social media, so how are you doing?
GENA
Well, sometimes it could be mentally draining. I just try to hold so much in, but sometimes it just takes a toll on me, and I just start worrying about myself, extremely. And then, you know, mental health is very important, and so I try to be as vulnerable and as open to people, so they’re not getting the wrong idea of things like, “Oh, she’s so happy about this,” or anything. It’s like, “No, actually I do have my breakdowns as well, but you know, it can get to me. But, overall, I try to keep a more positive, and “don’t worry,” kind of perspective on social media, ’cause I don’t want people to be down.
KARL
How do you make sure that you don’t worry too much?
GENA
Honestly, I don’t, you know, my sister passed away during, like, once I got, I was out of the hospital, but I was still not doing so well, and I lost her when I first went to go see her. And, she’s been praying for me so much, and she’s always been like, “Gena’s got this, Gena’s got this, and she’s gonna make it.” I’ve, you know, she’s very Catholic, and I feel like sometimes I’ve just, this is just me, I feel like maybe she gave herself away for me to survive. So, I try my best to look at it in that way. That’s what kind of keeps me going, because there was no reason she should have left. She was doing great, and I was the one that was so ill, but she had such a great connection to God, that I feel like she might’ve did that for me. I don’t know if that makes.
KARL
And now, you are undetectable, and things are things are looking a lot brighter. How do you, where do you find that inner strength, I guess, you know, a lot of people watch this and perhaps think “I wonder how I would cope if that happened to me.” What are some of the mechanisms or processes that you’ve discovered, and, sort of, hung onto about yourself that have helped you, essentially, bitbybit start climbing out of this really dark, horrible place that you were in?
GENA
I’ve just had so much support on social media through it all that I’m just like, ” I’ve gotta prove to myself and these people that I can do it and I’m gonna be fine.” I don’t know, I just, kind of, pressured myself in that sense, but I never, I don’t know, it’s weird to say this, but I never really just been like, “oh, I’m out, like, I’m not gonna make it.” I just never had that thought in my head. But, they were telling my mother, “she is not gonna make it. You gotta get funeral arrangements ready for her.” And, they told her that twice, and I didn’t even know. I just was so not there that I just didn’t know. And then, I just, I don’t know, I just strive. That’s the one thing that just keeps me going. It’s like, “I gotta try harder today, I gotta try harder today. I gotta beat what I did yesterday, beat it today.” And, I just keep going that way.
KARL
So, where are you at with things because you you were unable to walk, you’ve made, I’ve looked at your videos, you’re doing great there. Vision is blind in your left eye. Where is your health, aside from the great news that you’re undetectable, where is it at today?
GENA
So, I mean, I feel fine. I feel great. Aside from the vision. The vision is like, the only thing I really worry about, right now, because they don’t know if they can fix it, because of the disease that I had gotten, CMV disease, in my eye, I guess, you know, since you’re prone to rare diseases, that’s one of ’em that I got. It damaged so much tissue in the eye that they don’t know if they can reverse it. But, we’re doing everything we can to try. You know, I gotta try, as much as I hate it, I gotta try.
KARL
You’ve said in the past that you weren’t really knowledgeable when it comes to health, and all of this sort of stuff. When did you realize that something was really not right here?
GENA
I was having a lot of bowel problems. It started with the rear, and I was thinking.
KARL
Hm, trouble in the rear.
GENA
Yeah. I was just like, “oh God, I got anal cancer. I don’t know what’s going on.” I was going to the doctor so that they could tell me. And, I was specifically looking for those kind of doctors, for the down there, and they were all like, “oh, we don’t see anything wrong. You’re totally fine.” And, of course, you know, the misdiagnosis is, “Oh, you have cervical cancer.” And, then another one. “Oh no, who told you that? That was a lie?” It just kinda was like, I’m all over the place, and, but, I just keep getting worse. And, once I started running headfirst into walls, like, I had to go to the bathroom, and I just ran straight for the bathroom door, to the wall next to my toilet. And, then, I guess that point I couldn’t get outta my bed, really, and I ended up pooping on my floor. It was just so uncontrollable. I’m, like, I gotta go to the hospital, I can’t do this. And, I almost didn’t know if I was gonna make it, because I could barely walk down the hall to get to my elevator.
KARL
How terrifying is that, that you, like, you’re losing control of your body? Like, that’s gotta be, just, terrifying.
GENA
Yeah, I was just like, “I need somebody to help me. I need someone to come and help me.” I did have a friend that would come over some days, and I like called my mom, and my mom’s like, “we’re coming out there right now, you know, we’re gonna be there, but my mom doesn’t do planes. So, she drove, it took her some days, and within them days, I was just withering away. And so, I’m like, I just, I can’t.
KARL
Was there some comfort in then, I know this might sound like a ridiculous question, but some comfort in then knowing once you were told, “look, this is AIDS, and your body is shutting down because of that.” Did that give you at least some kind of, like, “Well, thank God we know what it is, now what do we do to fix it?”
GENA
Well, yeah, ’cause I was in so much pain.
KAR
You make it very clear through your social media posts that you are a fighter, and you share all your results, and you talk about being undetectable and all of this great stuff. What is, what do you hope that your followers and people who hear you and see you, what do you hope they take away from your experience, and learn.
GENA
Never give up, you know. There’s always, you can always make progress. Don’t just, you know, it’s a new world. Like, every, there’s so much more that can help fix these things, it’s no longer a death sentence. It’s really true. It’s like, you just hear that, and it’s like, “yeah, right. Yeah, right.” It’s like, it really, the world has really progressed. There’s so much stuff out here to help you. You just gotta make sure you go to the doctor. Don’t be afraid. And, a lot of people, I notice, they believe in the natural remedies and stuff on social media, they’re like, “Stop taking your medicine! Just do natural herbs and you’ll be cured.” And, I’m like, “Yeah, that’s a quick way to end up in the ER. No, you could do that stuff, but please take your medicine every day, you know?”
KARL
You know, there’s so many, especially women, who think, “Look, HIV/AIDS doesn’t, it’s not that, it’s not, it’s not my, I don’t need to worry about that. That’s not my issue.” But, you’re living proof, here and now, that this is, HIV is something that doesn’t discriminate, or take favorites.
GENA
It could happen to anyone, and people just assume, “oh, you must have been doing this and that, and wow, imagine how many people she’s infected.” It’s like, it’s sad, the assumptions that come with it, but they’re not true. You know, that doesn’t happen that way. It can come from a needle, even a tattoo needle that, let’s just say they happen to use the same tattoo needle they used on somebody with HIV or something. You know, it could come from so many other things.
KARL
But, by the way, what’s wrong with having a lot of sex? If you’re enjoying it, and you and your partner are participating in that consenting, and loving it, why should we feel shame? Sure, I had a lot of sex. I’m an adult. I think that’s something we’ve gotta try and change the narrative around too, right?
GENA
Exactly. I mean, yeah, ’cause I’ve seen, what is it? Those world records, you know, that people are having all this sex, and they’re not gettin’ anything. And, I’m like, “ah, see! But, I got it. I’m not doing that.” They’ve had sex with like a hundred people in one day, or 700, I have no idea. It’s just, like, you know, it does not discriminate, exactly true.
KARL
Gena, to you, thank you so much for making the time, for sharing your journey and your story, and just all the best to you.
GENA
Of course. Thank you so much for having me on here.
KARL
It was our pleasure. That is gonna do it for this episode of “Plus Talk.” If you want more information about us, check out our website, PlusLifeMedia, and follow us across social media platforms. We are @PlusLifeMedia. And, check out Gena Twe, on TikTok too, because she’s doing some great content there, and her journey and her story is really amazing. Until next time, be nice to one another, educate yourselves. We’ll see you soon. ByeBye.