www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY March 1, 2020 4
Castle Hill resident gets a second lease on life
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MEMBER:
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 followup 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.”
Russell Smith of Castle Hill. Photo by Jason Cohen
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