http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/10/marine-gunny-jerry-embry-battles-cancer-readies-corps-marathon-102712w/
By Erin Massey - Medill News Service
Posted : Saturday Oct 27, 2012 10:04:07 EDT
Gunnery Sgt. Jerry Embry and his nurse, Agnes Sicat, know what it?s like to face hurdles. In 2011, Embry, a motor transport mechanic and 22-year Marine, was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as non-Hodgkin?s Lymphoma.
Since Embry?s diagnosis, Sicat, a nurse at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., has been there every step of the way.
On Sunday, they?ll face another challenge together: the 37th Marine Corps Marathon.
?Jerry is nothing short of inspiring,? Sicat said. ?He is one of my heroes; positive, strong and of course a Marine who acts like it?s no big deal.?
Although Sicat was not Embry?s primary nurse, they became instant friends.
?Words just flowed,? Embry said.
Known as the ?People?s Marathon,? the event is the world?s largest to not offer prize money to participants. Each year, thousands of runners from around the world flock to the nation?s capital or participate in shadow runs in remote places such as Afghanistan and Kuwait.
This year?s marathon is expected to draw the largest number of participants in the race?s history. About 30,000 runners between the ages of 14 and 86 from every state ? and 54 countries ? will race through the streets of northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Embry, 39, has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea, and said the demands of being a Marine have helped keep him in top physical shape and probably had something to do with how well he responded to treatment.
Embry has undergone about seven chemotherapy treatments since his diagnosis.
Sicat said Embry?s positive attitude has made a positive impact on those around him, including her.
?Jerry taught me the importance of good humor and had the whole room laughing all of the time,? Sicat said.
Today, the cancer is virtually undetectable in his blood, though non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is rare for his age and considered a chronic condition because it can re-emerge.
For now, though, Embry and Sicat have their sights set on the finish line.
?I never accepted the fact that I was sick, nor did I ever fear that I wouldn?t beat it,? Embry said.
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