Chemo Ended. Two Weeks Later, I Hiked Zion.

Two weeks after her last chemo infusion for HER2-positive breast cancer, yoga teacher Larissa Noto hiked Zion National Park. Her oncologist found out about the trip mid-call when she mentioned she was already in Vegas.Joelle Kaufman talks with Larissa Noto, founder of The Lovely Little Lotus. Larissa spent years as a corporate attorney before pivoting into a full-time career teaching yoga and mindfulness, and now serves as Director of Teacher Trainings at The Yogalo in Pennsylvania. In December 2024, one month after her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, Larissa was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer. She was treated at Lehigh Valley Health Network with second opinions from Memorial Sloan Kettering and Fox Chase. Her treatment included active chemotherapy followed by a full year of Herceptin and Perjeta, plus a lumpectomy with axillary lymph node work. She did not have reconstruction.Larissa walks through how she kept teaching through chemo, why she did not quit the teacher training program that began the day after her diagnosis, and why journaling and mindful breathing carried her through the worst of it. Joelle shares her own story of chasing pathology slides through a hospital basement, working with a psycho-oncologist, and cold capping to keep her hair through chemo.In this episode: how to control the narrative when cancer is rewriting your life, why anger is just fear wearing a costume, the wall of wigs Larissa's three sons named (including the pink curly one she rang her bell in), and the one question Joelle asks every guest.Larissa Noto is the founder of The Lovely Little Lotus and Director of Teacher Trainings at The Yogalo. She is writing a book on breath work through the trajectory of life.Full article and resources at cancercurveballslugger.substack.com. Kicking Cancer's Ass moves people from powerless to powerful through real stories, cutting-edge science, and proven strategies.Listen to more episodes: Apple Spotify YouTubeWebsite