When my father was diagnosed with end-stage esophageal cancer, I'll never forget what a (very) distant acquaintance who lived in the same apartment building said to me. I ran into her in the hallway and she said that she had heard about my dad's illness and she was very sorry. Thank you, I said, so am I. Then she asked the question.

"Did he smoke?" Thud went my heart, as it sank.

I believe there is a difference between policy and people. As a nation we should do all that we can from a public health perspective to reduce the risk of cancer, including encouraging and offering incentives to people to improve their health through lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking.

However, when it comes down to the individual level, to a real-life person, does it really matter if someone who is afflicted with cancer puffed away or ate crummy food or drank themselves silly? Do we still not hope and pray for their recovery? Do we not mourn them if they die?

Back to the question. The one stopped me in my tracks as I acted my way through my day in the fog of anticipatory grief.

"Did he smoke?"

Looking back, maybe she was just curious.

Or maybe she was seeking reassurance.

Reassurance that the monster that is cancer wouldn't happen to her, wouldn't kill someone she loved.

That I couldn't give her, regardless of my answer.

Last year, on July 14th, I took the day off work to get a tattoo of my dad's initials on my wrist. Today, on July 14th, I will make breakfast, go to the gym, try to get some work done and have dinner with my family. But the significance of the day won't be lost on me. It was 2 years ago today that I watched my dad take his final breath, losing his short battle with cancer. It's an awful thing to see -- watching someone wheezing, struggling to get air, then finally giving up -- and I had nightmares about that for so long, nightmares in which I was the one struggling to breathe. The last time I saw my dad alive, we were fighting -- he, trying to take off his oxygen mask because it was pinching his nose; I, forcing it back on, forcing him to breathe, for my sake more than his own. And when it was over, I thought my life was over. I was certain I would never laugh again.

I took grief counselling after my loss, and the counsellor told me that days like this would be hard -- these anniversaries of tragedy. And they are but on this particular day, I don't like to dwell. I'd rather celebrate the anniversary of his birth than the mourn the day of his death. But the memories are more fresh than usual.

If there's one thing I want to get across here, it's this: Fathers, mothers, husbands, wives -- take care of your health. You owe it to those who love you . Visit your doctor. Insist on taking the tests. Buy yourself that extra time with your family. Do it for them, the ones who will be left behind.

As I have been blogging here for a bit now, I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself.

I am a trained scientist, holding a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a master's degree in biochemistry. In addition to my science background, my interest in blogging for The Cancer Blog comes from a personal place.

In 1999, my father died of esophageal cancer after a short illness. His first symptom was difficulty swallowing and the diagnosis just took off from there. He was an otherwise-healthy man in his late 60s and had reached a very happy point in his life. He had just settled into retirement and was surrounded by a large family that adored him. The best years were yet to come.

I buried my grief for a few years. Since then, I have become a living testament to that old saying, "Time heals all wounds." Slowly but surely, I could look at pictures of him and enjoy them, I could talk about him and not burst into tears. I know my dad wanted me to be happy and I am.

I believe in the power of telling our stories and perhaps more importantly, the power of listening.

I am continually amazed by the resilience of the human spirit.

Hiya. Allow me to introduce myself ... I'm Martha Edwards: writer, photographer, world-traveler and so much more. Things I am not? A doctor, a scientist, a cancer expert, patient or survivor. But my life has been forever altered by cancer. I was 24 when the most important person in my life, my dad, took his last breath as I held steadfastly onto his hand with gigantic tears running down my face. In the blink of an eye my world came crashing down and shattered into a million pieces. I spent the next year gluing every single bit of my broken soul back together, but like a shattered vase, I'll never be the quite the same. In a lot of ways, I'm better than before. I've learned the value of life and love and family, and I've learned that those who you love the most are never really gone.

Health and science have long been a passion for me. I studied microbiology and anatomy in college, loving the way all those small bits and pieces fit together to make the body, human or animal, the most amazing functioning unit on the face of the earth. I ended up graduating not in the physical sciences, but rather the family sciences because I was also fascinated by the way the family unit functioned. Both fields of study have carried me to where I am today, both continuing to play a role in my every day life.

I began writing for the cancer blog in 2005, but have been away from it for nearly a year. I lost both of my maternal grandparents to cancer when I was in my teens and have since lost several dear friends to the disease. Prevention and living a healthy day to day life in mind, body and spirit are endeavors I try to pursue on a daily basis. I believe that if we focus on those aspects, then the small bits in our bodies will function better and, in turn, we can function better as a family unit.

Being back at The Cancer Blog is an exciting step for me. The staff is comprised of wonderful writers who make a difference through their daily research and posts. The chance to again be a part of this great team is an honor and I am so touched to be here.

Greetings to regular (and new!) readers of The Cancer Blog. I'm Brian and I've been writing in the natural health and green living industries for a few years now, along with other health and wellness arenas. One of my passions in living life to the fullest and with the best fuel (nutrition) you can give you body is examining the causes of several diseases -- with the top one being cancer.

I've helped relatives and a other close friends deal with cancer for a while now and have seen unbelievable strength of spirit and human resilience from those people. Cancer sufferers and survivors are some of the strongest people I've ever known, which makes it an honor and a privilege to be writing here soon.

While I'm big on raw and natural nutrition as a way to help prevent cancer, the variables that bring it into our lives are much more complex than that. With that said, I have no doubt I'll learn way more from you than I can humbly state in my upcoming posts here. I hope to be as capable in my efforts as I know many of the readers of The Cancer Blog already are (and have been).

Best,

Brian White

We thought it might be nice if you knew more about the phenomenally talented bloggers who blog quality health-related content here at the Life Sciences blogs.

All of our bloggers are passionate about the health topics they write about related to cancer, diabetes and cardio heart health; compassionate in intent; and dedicated to bringing news, information, resources and a personal perspective meant to educate, enlighten and inspire in prevention, health management and survivorship.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to Nine DeJanvier, who blogs the Cardio and Cancer Blog.

When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? May 2006

We thought it might be nice if you knew more about the phenomenally talented bloggers who blog quality health-related content here at the Life Sciences blogs.

All of our bloggers are passionate about the health topics they write about related to cancer, diabetes and cardio heart health; compassionate in intent; and dedicated to bringing news, information, resources and a personal perspective meant to educate, enlighten and inspire in prevention, health management and survivorship.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to Diane Rixon, who blogs the Diabetes Blog.

When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? February 2006

We thought it might be nice if you knew more about the phenomenally talented bloggers who blog quality health-related content here at the Life Sciences blogs.

All of our bloggers are passionate about the health topics they write about related to cancer, diabetes and cardio heart health; compassionate in intent; and dedicated to bringing news, information, resources and a personal perspective meant to educate, enlighten and inspire in prevention, health management and survivorship.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to Allison "Allie" Love Beatty, who blogs the Diabetes Blog.

When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? September 2006

We thought it might be nice if you knew more about the phenomenally talented bloggers who blog quality health-related content here at the Life Sciences blogs.

All of our bloggers are passionate about the health topics they write about related to cancer, diabetes and cardio heart health; compassionate in intent; and dedicated to bringing news, information, resources and a personal perspective meant to educate, enlighten and inspire in prevention, health management and survivorship.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to Chris Sparling, who blogs the Diabetes, Cardio and Cancer Blog.

When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? August 2006

We thought it might be nice if you knew more about the phenomenally talented bloggers who blog quality health-related content here at the Life Sciences blogs.

All of our bloggers are passionate about the health topics they write about related to cancer, diabetes and cardio heart health; compassionate in intent; and dedicated to bringing news, information, resources and a personal perspective meant to educate, enlighten and inspire in prevention, health management and survivorship.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to breast cancer survivor Kristina Collins, who blogs the Cancer Blog.

When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? July 2006

We thought it might be nice if you knew more about the phenomenally talented bloggers who blog quality health-related content here at the Life Sciences blogs.

All of our bloggers are passionate about the health topics they write about related to cancer, diabetes and cardio heart health; compassionate in intent; and dedicated to bringing news, information, resources and a personal perspective meant to educate, enlighten and inspire in prevention, health management and survivorship.

Without further ado, we would like to introduce you to breast cancer survivor Jacki Donaldson, who blogs the Cancer Blog.

When did you become a Life Sciences blogger? May 2006