Dubuque Police Officer Beats Cancer

By Katie Wiedemann, Reporter

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By Katie Wiedemann

Story Created: Oct 26, 2009 at 8:19 PM CST

Story Updated: Oct 26, 2009 at 9:27 PM CST

DUBUQUE - A Dubuque Police Officer is back on the street tonight after being off the job for more than two months. But his time off was no vacation.

Nate Schmidt was just a normal guy. Young and healthy and loving life as a Dubuque police officer.
Then one spring day everything changed.

Schmidt said, "Right away it was a big shock. I mean what 26 year old expects a doctor to say, "Hey you have cancer"?"

Doctors diagnosed Schmidt with stage four testicular cancer. It had already spread to his stomach and right lung.

Schmidt said, “The hardest part was coming home and finding a way to tell my mom. To call her and let her know what was going on."

Immediately the cards of supports started pouring in. His fellow officers were his back-up: bringing him food and support.

After months of chemo treatment, Schmidt went to Indiana for major surgery. He spent the past two months, cooped up in his living room.

Schmidt said, "I was on that chair and this couch all the time, with this nice fall weather it came to the point where I just couldn't take it anymore."

Schmidt is finally back patrolling the streets.
And his doctors tell him he is now one hundred percent cancer free.

Schmidt, "The biggest thing you can do is say, I can beat this."

He's back to being a normal, healthy guy, loving life and his job.

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