The Gen Z Project

May is ME/CFS Awareness Month!

ME/CFS stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue (CF), a symptom of many chronic illnesses, is not the same as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). There is a push for ME/CFS to be exclusively known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in the future

ME/CFS is a complex, fluctuating, chronic medical condition affecting multiple body systems and symptoms can change unpredictably

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is the hallmark of ME/CFS

More on symptoms: Symptoms of ME/CFS

ME/CFS affects an estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans, the majority of those diagnosed being AFAB

An estimated 90% of people with ME/CFS are undiagnosed

About 25% of people with ME/CFS are bedbound or housebound for long periods

Most of those diagnosed never regain their pre-disease level of functioning

The root cause of ME/CFS is unknown

Possible triggers include: viral infections (such as mono, the flu, or COVID-19), bacterial infections, physical or psychological stress, and immune system changes. There may also be a genetic component

There is no cure or approved treatment for ME/CFS

However, some symptoms can be treated. For example, PEM is treated by pacing. More on treatments: Treatment of ME/CFS

ME/CFS costs the US economy about $17 to $24 billion annually in medical bills and lost incomes

May is Celiac Awareness Month!

Celiac is a serious autoimmune disease

It is not a food allergy, diet, or fad

It’s an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye

Oats are often cross contaminated, since they are typically grown next to wheat, so only certified gluten free oats are safe

However, oats have a protein that is structurally similar to gluten called avenin, which some people with celiac are triggered by, so they can't eat oats even if they're certified gluten free

Celiac causes physical and sometimes permanent harm to the intestines

Celiac is a genetic disorder

It is also known as "coeliac”

1 in 133 Americans (about 1% of the population) have celiac disease.

83% of people are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed

The average time to get a correct diagnosis is 6-10 years

There is no cure for celiac

The only existing treatment is a strict 100% gluten free diet

Eating gluten free is a life-long, difficult, expensive commitment

care for gaza - focuses on providing food and essential supplies. donate here or here.

connecting humanity - securing internet access via donations of virtual sim cards (esims). if you can't afford a whole plan yourself, crips for esims is a communal pool that will use your donation to purchase and maintain esims

gaza soup kitchen - provides food, medical care, and classes for children. also has a gofundme

glia gaza medical support initiative - provides medical care through field clinics and tents at hospitals. donations can also be sent through their website.

ele elna elak - provides clean water, food, clothing, and shelter. they also have a gofundme

life for gaza - raising money for the gaza municipality to repair water and waste management infrastructure

taawon - partners with local civil organizations to provide food, water, medical care, shelter, and basic supplies

the sameer project - running various initiatives providing tents, medical care, and necessities. they have their own encampment project focused on sheltering families with children, sick and disabled members, or members in need of perinatal care

islamic relief worldwide's gaza emergency appeal - provides food, water, hygiene kits, medical supplies, and psychological support

baitulmaal - provides a variety of necessities, including food, water, shelter, and medical supplies

gaza mutual aid fund - distributes food, hygiene products, water, and other essential supplies, including financial support. run by @/el-shab-hussein's amazing friend Mona. updates can be found on her instagram.

hygiene kits for gaza - provides hygiene supplies including menstrual products, wipes, and toothbrushes/toothpaste

anera - provides a variety of necessities, including food, water, hygiene supplies, medicine, blankets and mattresses, and psychological care

palestine children's relief fund - provides supplies and support with a focus on children. also has an initiative for lebanon

dahnoun mutual aid - provides water, food, tents, baby supplies, financial support, and other necessities. updates can be found through their instagram

We want to thank you for your support and donations for us to make the roof of the tent. We bought a new cover and installed it on the roof of the tent.🤝😊🫂

May God protect you all. My family is happy and prays for your well-being. But now we want your help for the floor of the tent.⛺️😭

Before the genocide, we all lived in a 6-story building, but now we all live in one tent. This is the tent in which 12 people live. There is no space, no privacy, and no comfort.

This is the floor of our tent, it is made of sand and we put cartoon on it to protect us from insects and cold, and it caused allergies for children and me because of eczema, we need to cover the floor with carpets.🙏😭😞

We also need to buy a new tent to expand into and divide ourselves into 6 people in one tent and 6 others in another tent.⛺️😭😞

🛑Please, don't hesitate to donate to us as much as you can😭🙏⬇️

is a covid-unsafe community really what you want? why is it acceptable to implicitly exclude disabled/immunocompromised people from these spaces? does excluding them mean valuable insight & information & connections are lost? is it worth it?

who told u it was safe to unmask? did u stop bc everyone else did? have u read into the research on covid, its effects on the body both in the acute phase and after? is it worth risking ur own health? is it worth risking others’ health?

who is going to take care of u when u get sick?

http://janesdueprocess.org/

https://www.lilithfund.org/

https://www.theafiyacenter.org/

https://thebridgecollective.org/

https://www.clinicaccess.org/

and some sites where you can directly buy abortion pills in the US

https://justthepill.com

https://aidaccess.org/en/

Today.

If you are a USAmerican in a relationship that might be affected by legislation that dissolves same-sex marriages, who may no longer be recognized as next-of-kin, especially if you have children, get your rights in writing!

Your marriage certificate may not be enough to prove you have rights to make medical decisions for non-biological children or for a same-sex spouse or partner.

Make sure you eat enough and sleep enough, and take the meds and vitamins that you need. Don't believe anything you think if you're hungry and tired and have been scrolling too long.

Get a therapy appointment if you think you need it.

Check your ballots and tell your people to check theirs. There is a process to fix errors (usually signatures not matching; common with younger voters who tend to sign their ballots nicer than their driver’s license or whatever form they signed to register)

Exit polls suggest DT cannot be caught? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Exit polls suggest KH has it in the bag? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Pundits are saying the country is swinging overwhelmingly red? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Pundits are saying the country is swinging overwhelmingly blue? YOU STILL GO VOTE.

Polls can be misleading (intentionally or not). The methodology can be biased (or simply poor). Early results may not reflect what the full count will show. There may be a red mirage. NOTHING YOU SEE CONVINCES YOU NOT TO VOTE.

The biggest Democratic win in swing states means nothing if democrats don't turn out everywhere to keep the reliably blue states blue.

VOTE. Wear appropriate weather gear if you think you may have to stand in a line outside (coat, hat, gloves, umbrella, sunhat, whatever, you know where you live). Bring water and a snack and something to do (book, game on your phone, podcast and headphones, whatever, you know what you like). GO VOTE.