Castle Hill resident gets a second lease on life
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BY JASON COHEN
A few years ago a Castle
Hill resident learned he was
terminally ill, yet today he
has received a second lease
on life and is grateful for every
minute of every day.
His story will make you
cry and shake you to the
bone, yet Russell Smith, 53,
of Castle Hill, is proud to tell
it.
Smith, a Montefi ore billing
specialist, who spent
most of his life in the Bronx,
knew cancer was on both
sides of his family, so always
watched his diet, stayed fi t
and went for yearly medical
checkups.
One night in 2016, while
taking a shower, he felt a
lump on the right side of his
pubic hair and two weeks
later found an identical one
on the left side. On top of
that, he was experiencing
pain when he urinated.
“That’s when I felt that
something was wrong,” he
said.
He went to a urologist who
did a prostate rectal exam.
The tests revealed high cancer
markers and he had fol-
Russell Smith of Castle Hill. Photo by Jason Cohen
lowup exams over the next
couple of weeks . Eventually,
the doctor ordered a biopsy,
which revealed stage 2 prostate
cancer.
“He called me into the offi
ce and gave me the news and
it was devastating,” Smith
said with tears in his eyes.
A cat scan also indicated
the cancer already spread to
his bones.
“He said there was nothing
else he could do for me,”
Smith recalled.
The urologist suggested a
a regiment of Lupron, which
is a shot that prevents the
cancer from spreading. Furthermore,
the doctor advised
Smith to get a second opinion,
but was cautioned that
the results would only confi
rm his prognosis.
“I dropped down to my
knees and prayed to God,”
he said. “That night a voice
got in my head and said keep
fi ghting.”
So, the next day he
searched for the best cancer
hospital and found Sloan Kettering.
He immediately contacted
them and scheduled
an appointment. He met with
Dr. James Eastham, who repeated
all the tests and discovered
the cancer was treatable.
“He said he could save my
life,” Smith said. “He said the
urologist in the Bronx misdiagnosed
me.”
Furthermore, the alledged
cancer in his bones was arthritis.
In 2017 he had surgery
and since then has been
cancer free.
“It’s a miracle,” he exclaimed.
“He’s (Eastham) an
angel.”
Smith sees Eastham for
follow ups and is grateful for
excellent treatment plan.
He discussed suing the
urologist in the Bronx with a
lawyer, but was advised to let
it go since he was healthy.
“I don’t ever want to speak
to him again,” he said. “I
was angry as hell. Now I feel
blessed.”
After an agonizing couple
of years, he decided to
tell his story. He had a book
published, ‘Tragedy into Triumph,
Surviving Prostate
Cancer’ a few months ago
and also created a health and
wellness website MedinetUnited.
com.
“When a man is told something
like that it is very devastating,”
he stressed. “You
never know what God has in
store for you. Listen to your
gut. That’s God talking to
you.”
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