MASSARO: Survivor's spirit keeps her in the race

By Gary Massaro, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Isabelle Kasel is a pioneer among breast cancer survivors. She went through her ordeal in 1976.

"That was the dark ages," she said. "I had a lot of faith, great family and great friends. Unfortunately, back then, they didn't have support groups. So those three were my support groups."

Isabelle, 72, is lending her support by participating in the Tri for the Cure, a triathlon to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, in Denver on Aug. 3.

"I'm more interested in raising funds. I'm not going to be the first one in by any means," she said. "As one of my daughters said, the women aren't necessarily athletes. They're out there for the cause."

Isabelle found the lump on her breast herself. Her doctor told her it was nothing, not to worry.

"That's what I wanted to hear," she said.

When her insurance changed, she also changed doctors. She went in for another exam.

"By then, there were two lumps," she said. "That's when they did the modified radical mastectomy."

So she lost part of one breast. But her good attitude helped her from losing her bearings.

"I was very busy," she said. "I had seven children - three very young - so I had to get well in a hurry."

She had a rough couple of months after surgery because her shoulder locked up. She remembers crying once on a postoperative visit to the surgeon.

"I just kept going," she said. "All I could think of was I had to get well because of my children."

Isabelle grew up in Iowa, a farm girl. She married her high school sweetheart, Dick, who grew up in Marshalltown.

"We have known each other forever," she said. "We went to school (together) from third grade on."

She finished college, worked as a nurse. He finished later at Iowa State, joined the Forest Service and was promptly transferred to Colorado, first to Monte Vista and then to Denver.

"After all the kids left home and were married, we moved to Longmont," Isabelle said.

That was 10 years ago.

She has participated in fundraisers for breast cancer research before, but this will be her first triathlon. She's teaming with daughter Michell Glisan, of Fort Collins. She'll do the three-mile racewalk while her daughter does the bike ride and swim.

Another daughter, Linda Doran, of Breckenridge, is doing the whole triathlon.

It is for them mostly that Isabelle is doing the fundraiser, bum knee - torn meniscus - and all.

"I have five daughters and lots of granddaughters," she said. "Many women my children's age are having breast cancer. We've come a long, long way, but we've got a long way to go. We should be further along."