“Stay Strong” — What Does It Really Mean?
Why do I always end with it?
This one’s personal. I’ll admit, I’m biased—this is my favorite saying.
“Stay strong” goes far beyond physical strength. Strength, to me, is the brain’s ability to connect with the body. You can become stronger without building more muscle—it’s about how well you use what you already have.
For me, strength is more mental than physical. Our bodies can only go as far as our minds allow.
I learned this the hard way. I spent over a month in the hospital with no answers. I received 14 blood transfusions— the human body only holds about 10 units of blood. That meant I no longer had any of my own blood circulating in my body.
Messages poured in from friends and family offering prayers and support. I was grateful—but when some people started expressing pity, that’s where I drew the line.
I was determined to stay in control. I told the doctors I would not take blood thinners as long as I could keep walking—because I had an active internal bleed. At one point, my ferritin iron levels dropped below 5 ng/mL. (If you’re in health care, you know how dangerously low that is.)
There was a pivotal moment that hit me hard: After two weeks in the hospital, I finally stepped on a scale.
150 lbs.
Just two weeks earlier, I had weighed 178 lbs in Disney. at the end of my hospital journey I was below 140 lbs I couldn’t look at a certain point.
Seeing that number broke me. My ego, pride, and shell all shattered. I realized I was actively dying. I sobbed, wept, and cried for at least 30 minutes.
But after that breakdown, came clarity. I made a decision: I would try everything and do whatever it took to survive. That was the first time I accessed a level of strength deeper than anything I have physically.
It was that strength—the strength I didn’t even know I had—that kept me walking. It kept me off blood thinners. It bought me time.
Because of that time, I was able to find the best surgeon for my case and travel from Danbury, CT to Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC.
Dr. Greenstein—thank you.
Dr. Marvin Prince—thank you for going above and beyond.
To the resident I fought with for weeks—I’ll find you and thank you, too.
To the nurses at Danbury Hospital, New Britain, and Mount Sinai—thank you for your patience and grace, even when I wasn’t the easiest.
Through this I still would never trade places with anyone because I always had my mind. It showed me that everything can be taken away—people, possessions, even your body. But no one can take away your mind or your strength.
I am here to teach everyone that you are strong its there
Stay Strong!
