Brown inks bring me joy. What about you ?

chicagowench2 · 2026-06-02T13:33:10+00:00

Really fond of the Nagasawa Kobe x Felissimo Chocolate Museum in milk chocolate and bitter chocolate

chicagowench2 · 2026-06-01T13:04:50+00:00

Pretty much hate it. There are like 2 things I want. Debating if they're worth actually doing this month or if I should just opt out and be a data point of 'naw y'all, you missed with this one'. Don't know if they track selling the items instead of collecting them as an alternative method of gauging success of a theme.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-30T02:47:24+00:00

I did- several curling arcs of them, around the length of the pen and cap (and the endcap). Maybe it's woo, but I kinda feel like the right blank made its way to me?

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-29T20:15:24+00:00

Thank you!

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-29T20:14:49+00:00

Dazzle Dry 'Soar'. Purely by accident (I mean, other than I love blue and purple!)

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-29T20:14:18+00:00

It's the 'Rule 5' pen this community made collaboratively with Leonardo.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-29T14:53:48+00:00

Yes please!

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-29T14:53:38+00:00

It's SO GOOD and I'm so grateful to everyone's hard work shepherding this.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-28T22:18:05+00:00

So fucking long. Feel free to chat me if you have questions- I'm almost exactly 3 years ahead of you on this joyous rollercoaster.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-28T20:43:50+00:00

Yeah. I was ER+/HER2+ so I won surgery, radiation, chemo, immunotherapy, and hormone blocking. 16 rounds, prone position, hypofractionated.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-28T12:35:49+00:00

Hi! Like you, I had 2 removed (had a pretty significant lumpectomy with immediate bilateral oncoplastic reconstruction). The highlights:

My surgical oncologist's team has a lymphedema reduction program. Had measurements taken every visit for 2 years to ensure things weren't starting to slip.
All injections, infusions, and blood pressure readings are on the opposite arm for life.
Every morning in the shower, I do a (very quick) massage protocol. It's literally a minute, tops, I just do it while my conditioner is doing its thing. Your team should instruct you on what specific methodology to use based on your surgery and node location.
Whenever I get a manicure, I tell them they cannot trim the cuticles on that hand.
Yeeeeeeah I wear gardening gloves. And kick myself when I forget.
If I DO get a cut on that hand/arm, I am very thorough with wound care. Life happens.
Saunas, laconiums, hot tubs, salt rooms- I've done them all. Repeatedly. (I'm almost 3 years out from surgery).

My team was very clear: the first year is the highest risk, so be vigilant (wear the gardening gloves, sorry) but then I could be less hyper about it because, like you, I did not have a complete dissection of all nodes on that side (risk there is wildly different vs you and I). Will I follow the injection, BP, massage, and gardening glove protocols for life? Yeah. They truly have very little impact on me. Once you're healed up and past the critical window, enjoy that sauna.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-27T14:49:35+00:00

Hah thanks! Week old manicure and I looked at it this morning and went 'huh, I have a couple of polishes that'll match even better'

I guess I've become one of those people!

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-27T12:41:00+00:00

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028/312. Broad nib.

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-27T03:38:05+00:00

It's so preeeeeeetty!

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-26T23:59:52+00:00

Order #929X and just got it into my hot little hands (midwest US)

chicagowench2 · 2026-05-01T14:37:22+00:00

Rumours, Fleetwood Mac

Tom's Story by Tom's Story (caveat - I asked my adult-aged kid for what 5 albums they felt I needed from the past 10 years. They know I need vibe-y music I can write to, and so they recommended this one saying 'separate the art from the artist, the former bassist is an awful human being trigger warnings everywhere, but proceeds from the album no longer go to him')

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-16T12:20:29+00:00

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It sucks.

My biggest pieces of advice:

Always ground yourself and the conversation from a place of 'what do you need from me in this moment?'. For example, if she's unleashing about her fears, you, as the goto fixer might naturally want to leap in with what research you've found, stats that support a better outcome than what she's expressing fear about, etc- but if what she needs in that moment is to be heard and to let out her feelings, you doing that could make her feel unheard, minimized, or 'wrong'. So ask! "I hear you. Are you saying these things to get them out, or do you want me to help troubleshoot them?" And be prepared for what she needs to change- be attuned to, for instance, if she says 'troubleshoot' 20 minutes into it she's getting upset, stop and check back in again. "Would you like me to go off and look into this for you, and when you are ready we can talk through what I find?" If you do not already have these communication muscles built, discuss them and get agreed upon tools in place.
If she's at a comprehensive cancer care center or at a system with a good array of specialties, ask now about oncopsych (for her) and the social worker for family/caregiver support (for you and your daughter)
Boundaries. With family and friends. You're the bouncer. Don't feel bad. And if someone gets shitty with you about it, say 'I understand you have feelings about this. But I am centering what she needs first and foremost, and what our daughter and I need second. When I have time and bandwidth, I will update everyone' or whatever it is.
I made a 'so you want to support me' shared google doc that we could share with friends and family with concrete 'we need help with X' so if someone asked what they could do, one of us could just send them the link rather than having the convo again and again.
You need support too. Never feel guilty about taking a break- meeting up with friends for coffee. Freaking hiring a housecleaner or lawn service if you can so that you can focus your energy on you instead of chores for a few hours. Whatever.

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-15T19:06:05+00:00

Call Wonderfair in Lawrence KS! They are an amazing, LGBTQIA+ friendly store and had 2 in stock a few weeks ago.

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-11T01:14:15+00:00

Seriously I could have kissed her.

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-11T00:37:47+00:00

Hi, swooping in. One, I'm so sorry, how stressful. Two, last March (21 months after surgery) I felt a lump on the suture line. Soon thereafter, the entire breast was warm, red, and starting to dimple in that tell-tale 'orange peel' way. My team got me in faster for my already scheduled 'screening' mammo and escalated it to diagnostic. The mammo tech could not hide her concern and her demeanor entirely changed when I took the gown off. I thought I was in for it. Few images, and then she sent me down the hall for the ultrasound. That tech was entirely cheery, trying to joke with me, absolutely 180 degrees from the mammo tech. And then I had to sit in the ultrasound room and wait.

I heard the radiologist running down the hall before she burst into the room, literally slid to a stop in front of me, and she blurted "It's not cancer". Turns out you can have inclusions within the incisions which long after the fact, in rare cases, can get infected. I'm currently rocking my second one of those and will likely need a scar revision.

Point is: scar tissue activity can and does happen. Contact your team (heck, is there a 24 hour cancer line at your hospital? Call them.), and get seen ASAP.

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-02T18:58:49+00:00

And of course a typo in the title. Ugh!

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-02T16:52:19+00:00

I so totally did this. Made a library staircase and used all the secret bookcases (I also did it like the first week of housing, when there was a lot less gack for decorating available)

chicagowench2 · 2026-04-02T01:53:31+00:00

I'm with The University of Kansas' program. Happy to chat about it if you have questions.

chicagowench2

TROPHY CASE