Daily News-Record

One scar stretches close to 20 inches, from James Chumley's sternum to his groin. Another extends from his left rib cage to his shoulder blades.

Physically, Chumley's five-year battle against testicular cancer has left him scarred. Emotionally, he said, it's made him stronger.

"When the sun's out, it's a great day," Chumley said recently. "When it rains, it's a great day too. I don't care. I never really get down about too much, because things could be so much different right now."

Things could be so much different for the 23-year-old James Madison University biology major and Broadway Bruins' pitcher in the Rockingham County Baseball League.

As a freshman at Shenandoah University, Chumley was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He had the affected left testicle removed, then struggled through chemotherapy from December 1998 through March 1999.

"It made me so sick. It was like the flu times ten thousand," said the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Chumley, who dropped to 140 pounds during the four months of chemo treatments. "It was horrible. I was throwing up all the time. That was the worst part of being sick. And you go through all that and you don't even think it's going to work sometimes."

Chemotherapy took place at Shenandoah Oncology in Winchester. And while he understands how far the treatment went in restoring his health, his memories of the "chemo room" are far from fond.

"I hate the way it smells in there. I hate everything about it," Chumley said. "I was the youngest person by far of anybody in there. I was only 18.

"I sat in there and I talked to older people that actually passed away while I was doing it. I made friends with older people, and then they were gone. So it was really, really hard. Really tough."

Chumley spoke freely about his health struggles during a two-hour interview in front of Carrier Library - a flowing, easy discussion interrupted only by a brief pause when Chumley stopped to admire a blond-haired coed.

His easy-going demeanor hasn't been dented by his life-altering battle with the disease that affects more than 7,000 men a year and kills more than 300, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Chumley graduated from Sherando High School in 1998 and went to Shenandoah University to play baseball - where the cancer, diagnosed in his first semester, caused him only to miss the first ten games of the season. He still earned second-team All-Dixie Conference honors.

But his victory march was cut short when doctors told him the cancer had spread, undetected, into his abdomen.

In July 1999, Chumley and his mother, Bonnie, flew to Indianapolis for a retno paratenial lymph node dissection. Chumley returned with the scar that runs the length of his torso.

"I'll show you the scar. It's great," Chumley said, removing his shirt in the JMU courtyard. "It's pretty cool."

After the surgery, Chumley thought everything was fine with his health - the cancer, doctors thought, was heading toward remission.

"I felt wonderful. I didn't feel anything physically," Chumley said. "Then they found teratomas - they're tumors, but they're benign. They were all over the place in my chest and on my left lung."

And so once again Chumley found himself in Indianapolis, under the knife. This time, doctors collapsed both his lungs and scraped tumors off them. Along the way they removed one of Chumley's ribs.

Because Chumley came to associate Winchester with his cancer and subsequent chemotherapy, he transferred in 2000 to James Madison and will graduate in December with a biology degree.

While a future in medical research could be in his future, baseball still holds an important place in his present. He tried out for the JMU baseball team, but was cut. That led him to play club baseball at Madison, where pitcher Jeff Zich encouraged Chumley to try out for the Bruins.

"I was really close to giving up baseball," Chumley admitted.

But after multiple surgeries and months of chemotherapy, the concept of giving up had lost its place in Chumley's lexicon. With the Bruins, he's found a very welcoming home - and the chance to keep throwing.

"The thing I like about him, he's fun to be around," Broadway coach Gerald Harman said. "He's a barrel of laughs."

Chumley's 90-mph fastball sure doesn't hurt. In six games for the Bruins this summer, he's 2-0 with one save and a 1.80 ERA. He has 10 strikeouts in just 8 2/3 innings pitched, having surrendered only three hits.

"I would like to think that I'm the hardest thrower in the league," Chumley said laughing. "But I'm sure there's other guys that are."

County League coaches agree Chumley is one of the hardest throwers on the circuit. Harman recalled a game last season when Briery Branch's Preston Miller was throwing in the high 80s on the radar gun.

"Next thing you know, we bring Chumley in and he's out there throwing gas," Harman said. "He was throwing every bit as hard as Preston."

That was all Chumley's teammates needed to see.

"He was throwing smoke," Zich said. "He kind of gained immediate acceptance."

But the cancer has taken its toll on Chumley. Last season, Chumley struggled with endurance. If he didn't get at least three days rest, Harman said, his fastball would lose three to five mph.

A week before this season started, Chumley suffered a seizure while throwing batting practice for the Bruins. He missed three games.

Chumley now feels as healthy as he's been since his freshman year at Shenandoah, but the cancer isn't completely behind him.

At first, checkups arrived every three months. Now, they're every six. Every time, Chumley said, his fear is renewed during the week between the MRI, CAT scan, X-rays and blood work and the arrival of the test results. In another two years, if he stays free of cancer, doctors will consider him in remission.

Not a day goes by that Chumley doesn't contemplate the ifs. Where would he be if his natural talent had been allowed to fully flourish? Where would he be if his latest surgery hadn't been successful?

"I think I'm very lucky," Chumley said, looking up at the sunshine. "The fact that I had that disease changed my perspective on life so much. Bases loaded, no outs, and they bring me in, it's not really that big of a deal compared to everything else. It's the same thing in school. Exam week's nothing.

"I've been through a lot worse."

And now he sees sunshine - even when it rains.
Copyright (c) 2003, Byrd Newspapers, All Rights Reserved.
Record Number: 109E3A345D374D43