In Remembrance

On May 23, 2009 Erin Porteous would have turned 28 years old. But she lost her battle with breast cancer in June last year. She was diagnosed with breast cancer only days after her 25 birthday. Fortunately, she was living in Korea at that time and she underwent surgery within weeks. Apparently breast cancer is more common in young women in Korea so they are more aggressive with treatment. If she was here in Canada it would have been months between her initial appointment and the surgery, instead it was weeks.

She returned to Winnipeg for her radiation and chemo treatments. She took all of this in stride. She was able to joke about her illness and was willing to share her experience to help others optimize their health. So if you have any concerns please see a doctor for treatment. You may be able to stop a serious problem earlier.

Around a year after her diagnosis she began to have back pain. After a bone scan she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her spine, shoulder blade and pelvis. Erin was determined to beat her illness. She went to Mexico for alternative treatments and later to Florida to the Hippocrates Health institute. The Hippocrates philosophy is dedicated to the belief that a pure enzyme-rich diet, complemented by positive thinking and non-invasive therapies, are essential elements on the path to optimum health. They focus on eating uncooked foods and taking wheat grass shots. I must admit when I saw her when she returned from Florida her skin was beautiful and her teeth were glowing white from the wheat grass. Unfortunately, the diet she followed in Florida is much harder to follow in a cold climate like Winnipeg.

She began to exercise more in Florida because she was feeling so great. She accidentally fractured her hip and required a hip replacement when she returned to Winnipeg. At this time I was fortunate to spend more time with her because she was admitted to Concordia Hospital (where I work). She seemed to experience complication after complication and even required a second surgery when her hip became infected. Through all of this, she was still the outgoing and determined Erin I knew.

Only a couple of months after her hip replacement the cancer had spread to her lungs making it difficult for her to breathe. She passed away in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by family.

My only regret it not trying to see her more often when she returned to Winnipeg. I never knew if she was getting treatments or if she was too tired/sick or when she was traveling. I called her house when she returned from Mexico. Her brother or dad answered (I can’t tell them apart) and he had to explain to me that Erin was admitted in St. Boniface Hospital with kidney failure. (Apparently it’s not uncommon for this to occur after the alternative treatments in Mexico. Sometimes the kidneys are unable to filter the medications/compounds given to people.) I felt awful because he sounded so sad. I mostly stuck to emails after that, so Erin could respond at her leisure.

Erin was a fantastic person and had an impact on my life. I think in our friendship it was true that opposites attract. Erin was so energetic and outgoing while I was content to have a couple close friends and withdrew in social situations. She helped me to become more confident because she always complimented me (and others) on my personality and talents and challenged the boundaries of my comfort zone.

She will be missed by many. But she is still alive in our hearts.