INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If your ganglion is very painful or is interfering with the natural movement of your wrist, you may need to seek expert treatment to resolve the issue. A medical professional will be able to aspirate, or drain, the cyst, getting rid of the bump under your skin and stopping the cyst from rubbing painfully against nerve tissue. Your doctor may check the cyst by shining a light through the growth – if the light shines through, then your doctor knows it is fluid-filled and is a ganglion cyst. Though it’s not a complex procedure, you should know what’s going to happen to you when you arrive for your aspiration. This will help you stay calm and relaxed during the appointment.  The doctor will apply a topical anesthetic to numb the area around the ganglion. He or she might inject the cyst with an enzyme that makes the jelly-like liquid easier to remove. The doctor will poke a needle into the cyst, then draw the liquid out from it. The liquid is biological waste that the staff will dispose of lawfully and safely. Aspiration alone is usually not a permanent treatment; in one study, 59% of cysts treated with aspiration alone came back within three months. However, administering steroids to the site of the drained cyst has proven far more successful, with 95% of cysts still cleared 6 months after treatment. Ganglions have a very high rate of recurrence, so you may find that home treatment and even aspiration is not a lasting solution to your problem. If you have a persistent ganglion that keeps coming back, ask your doctor about the possibility of having the cyst removed surgically.  This is typically an outpatient procedure, in which the doctor administers anesthesia through an IV. Rather than simply draining the liquid from the cyst, they will remove the entire cyst, as well as the stalk that attaches it to the tendon or joint. Through complete removal, you reduce the chances of another cyst growing back. As with any surgery, there is a chance of something going wrong during the procedure. In rare cases, surgery might damage the nerve tissue, blood vessels, or tendons in the area around the cyst. You may also suffer from an infection or excessive bleeding. The area surrounding the cyst site will be sore and possibly painful during the healing process. Ask the doctor to prescribe a painkiller, like Vicodin, to help you manage the pain until it fades. Rest the affected limb as much as possible for at least a few days. For example, if the cyst was on your wrist, avoid activities like typing and cooking for a while. Ask your doctor for a recovery plan that includes:  An estimate of how long it will take to recover. What specific activities to avoid during the recovery process. What symptoms to look for that might indicate problems with the procedure.

SUMMARY: Have a doctor drain the cyst. Be prepared for aspiration. Ask if the doctor recommends a steroid injection. Discuss surgical options with your doctor. Know the risks of surgical removal. Take care of yourself after the surgery.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Empty an entire 750 ml bottle of Everclear, an entire 750 ml bottle of coconut rum, and half of a 750 ml bottle of vodka into a large container, such as a 5 gallon ((19 l) cooler. Mix the alcohols together with a long-handled spoon. Once the alcohols are combined, add 16 ounces (473 ml) of pineapple juice and 1 gallon (3.8 l) of fruit punch. Next, mix some orange and pineapple slices, and give the entire mixture a good stir to ensure that all of the ingredients are fully blended.  You can substitute any juice that you like for the pineapple juice. Orange, grapefruit, and cranberry all work well. You can mix whatever type of sliced fruit you like into the punch. For the best flavor, match the slices to the juice, though. When all of the ingredients are combined, fill your glasses with ice. Use a ladle to pour the punch over the ice, and serve to your guests. If you find that the punch is too strong, you can mix in a fruity soda, such as lemon lime, to dilute it.

SUMMARY: Pour all of the alcohol into a large container. Stir in the juice, fruit punch, and fruit slices. Serve the punch over ice.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Oil paint is extremely forgiving in the sense that it takes many days to begin to dry. However, it is nearly impossible to mix the same paint twice so mix your paints in large batches and preserve between painting sessions so that you always have enough of the right color.  Use a color wheel to help you find colors to mix. The color wheel shows primary, secondary, and tertiary colors and how to make them. Pure hues are colors that have not been mixed with either white or black. You can mix the primary colors to create the secondary colors. To create a tint, add white to your paint. This will lighten it and make a more pastel color. To make a shade, add black to any paint color. To make a tone, add white to a shade (any color with black added). Tones are the most widely used, as they represent most of the everyday colors we see. You can choose whatever painting technique you like, whether that be painting entire sections to completion or putting  layers of paint over the entire canvas. When oil painting, though, use the thin-to-thick method in which you paint with thin paint before using thick paint.  Try painting basic subjects. All figures are made up out of a few basic shapes: the cube, cone, cylinder, and ring. Paint these in the form of real subjects, such as a box or orange, or paint a flat form of each. To thin your paint, use a blending medium (linseed oil or terpentine) mixed with your paint. Don’t use too much to start, but gradually add more until you get the consistency you want. It takes three days for a layer of paint to dry enough to add a second layer to the top, so be patient while you wait for your paint to dry. There are dozens of ways to perfect your painting, but learning them all as a beginner can be overwhelming. instead, focus on picking up some of these techniques one at a time.  Try blending your paints. This is the process by which you slowly fade two or more different colors (think of a sunset). To do this, add layers of paint so that they are directly adjacent to each other on the canvas. Then, use flat brush to smooth the paints together, working with the direction of the blend. Try creating a glaze. This is when you use a solution of 1/3 linseed oil,1/3 terpentine, and 1/3 varnish to create a transparent color. You can use this mixed with any paint color to create a see-through hue over dried paint.  Use stippling to create small dots. Use a natural bristle brush (dry often works best), and tap it vertically against your canvas. You can build up these dots to create a more opaque figure. Try using a palette knife to paint. This technique is great for landscapes and creating movement on your canvas. Scoop up a bit of paint on the bottom edge of the knife, and sweep it across the canvas to create thick layers of paint.

SUMMARY:
Mix your paints. Begin painting. Try different techniques.