Merlina McGovern
@lacalaveracat.bsky.social
Copyeditor by day, hobbyist artist by night. Open to freelance editing and writing gigs.
lacalaveracat.wixsite.com/website
lacalaveracat.wixsite.com/website
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
No Kings! Fort Myers Florida!
October 18, 2025 at 3:29 PM
No Kings! Fort Myers Florida!
Rising up from my posting slumber to say that I love, love, love The Life of a Showgirl. So far, I love Fate of Ophelia and Opalite. The hip-shaking beats have me smiling in the midst of the world's chaos right now.
October 3, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Rising up from my posting slumber to say that I love, love, love The Life of a Showgirl. So far, I love Fate of Ophelia and Opalite. The hip-shaking beats have me smiling in the midst of the world's chaos right now.
If you're angry about how the FDA is limiting our ability to keep our families safe by using misinformed, nonmedical professionals to make decisions about vaccines, please call your reps. I downloaded the 5 Calls app; it makes it insanely easy to call your reps. Happy calling!
August 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
If you're angry about how the FDA is limiting our ability to keep our families safe by using misinformed, nonmedical professionals to make decisions about vaccines, please call your reps. I downloaded the 5 Calls app; it makes it insanely easy to call your reps. Happy calling!
Starting reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I’m really enjoying the daily morning practice.
July 31, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Starting reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I’m really enjoying the daily morning practice.
The @nightvaleradio.bsky.social live show in Boston was amazing! I was laughing all night. Who knew a night filled with crows and murders and AI bots could be so funny? If you have a chance to see them live, do it!
July 13, 2025 at 3:01 AM
The @nightvaleradio.bsky.social live show in Boston was amazing! I was laughing all night. Who knew a night filled with crows and murders and AI bots could be so funny? If you have a chance to see them live, do it!
I woke up after a terrible dream of arguing with people to please have some humanity and not rip their healthcare away from poorer people. I’m feeling a tremendous urge to be in community. We are not alone. There are so many people who care. We have to find each other.
July 4, 2025 at 2:20 PM
I woke up after a terrible dream of arguing with people to please have some humanity and not rip their healthcare away from poorer people. I’m feeling a tremendous urge to be in community. We are not alone. There are so many people who care. We have to find each other.
I think I have hit maintenance on my Mounjaro journey. Spoke with an RD yesterday to discuss. It was super helpful. I wish I’d had this guidance and support at the start, but better late than never.
June 26, 2025 at 11:23 PM
I think I have hit maintenance on my Mounjaro journey. Spoke with an RD yesterday to discuss. It was super helpful. I wish I’d had this guidance and support at the start, but better late than never.
Got my jog in before the temps reached 90 here (just barely). Loving this part of my GLP-1 journey, where I have energy to enjoy exercise even when it's gross outside.
June 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Got my jog in before the temps reached 90 here (just barely). Loving this part of my GLP-1 journey, where I have energy to enjoy exercise even when it's gross outside.
Today, I'll be trying my hand at baking whole wheat pitas. I've been on a kick making whole wheat bread and tortillas. A lot easier than I previously thought, and still tasty (though my Mexican-American dad scoffs at the thought of WW tortillas, ha!).
June 7, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Today, I'll be trying my hand at baking whole wheat pitas. I've been on a kick making whole wheat bread and tortillas. A lot easier than I previously thought, and still tasty (though my Mexican-American dad scoffs at the thought of WW tortillas, ha!).
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
about my experiences with this to try and combat the stigma and shame people feel about using GLP-1 drugs to help with weight loss.
People will judge you for being overweight/obese and they will judge you for how you lose weight; don’t worry about their opinions and just do you!
People will judge you for being overweight/obese and they will judge you for how you lose weight; don’t worry about their opinions and just do you!
May 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
about my experiences with this to try and combat the stigma and shame people feel about using GLP-1 drugs to help with weight loss.
People will judge you for being overweight/obese and they will judge you for how you lose weight; don’t worry about their opinions and just do you!
People will judge you for being overweight/obese and they will judge you for how you lose weight; don’t worry about their opinions and just do you!
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
One of my favorite parts of taking Wegovy so far is that I don’t have cravings for sweets, junk food, high fat snacks, etc. I can eat a little of them and enjoy it, but I don’t crave it constantly. It feels so weird to not always think of food and what I’ll eat next.
I’m gonna to keep talking…
I’m gonna to keep talking…
May 26, 2025 at 4:49 PM
One of my favorite parts of taking Wegovy so far is that I don’t have cravings for sweets, junk food, high fat snacks, etc. I can eat a little of them and enjoy it, but I don’t crave it constantly. It feels so weird to not always think of food and what I’ll eat next.
I’m gonna to keep talking…
I’m gonna to keep talking…
I think I've finally found something that drives me to be an advocate. My GLP-1 journey has been life-changing. Seeing the stigma that causes people to gatekeep these meds makes me want to share my journey and the research.
May 26, 2025 at 12:57 PM
I think I've finally found something that drives me to be an advocate. My GLP-1 journey has been life-changing. Seeing the stigma that causes people to gatekeep these meds makes me want to share my journey and the research.
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
The new weight-loss drugs are changing everything.
It's just a matter of time before crank diet purveyors will have to find another line of work.
Gift link.
www.wsj.com/health/pharm...
It's just a matter of time before crank diet purveyors will have to find another line of work.
Gift link.
www.wsj.com/health/pharm...
Should Everyone Be Taking Ozempic? Doctors Say More People Could Benefit
Anti-obesity drugs are showing promise for an ever-expanding list of diseases
www.wsj.com
May 26, 2025 at 8:37 AM
The new weight-loss drugs are changing everything.
It's just a matter of time before crank diet purveyors will have to find another line of work.
Gift link.
www.wsj.com/health/pharm...
It's just a matter of time before crank diet purveyors will have to find another line of work.
Gift link.
www.wsj.com/health/pharm...
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
Clinically meaningful #weightloss data for Mazdutide in China, expanding options for GLP-1 medicines. Will survodutide be the first glucagon-GLP-1 medicine to report a CV outcomes trial?
In Chinese adults with overweight or obesity, once-weekly #GLP/glucagon agonist mazdutide, at a dose of 4 mg or 6 mg for 32 - 48 weeks, led to clinically relevant #weightloss in the GLORY-1 trial.
Very low drop out rates due to side effects
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Very low drop out rates due to side effects
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....
Once-Weekly Mazdutide in Chinese Adults with Obesity or Overweight | NEJM
Evidence suggests that incretin-based dual agonist pharmacotherapy is helpful in persons
with obesity. Mazdutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist,
may have efficacy in ...
www.nejm.org
May 25, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Clinically meaningful #weightloss data for Mazdutide in China, expanding options for GLP-1 medicines. Will survodutide be the first glucagon-GLP-1 medicine to report a CV outcomes trial?
Seems like great news for folks that have Cigna.
Cigna to offer $200 Wegovy, Zepbound weight-loss benefit reut.rs/4kpU9k1
Cigna to offer $200 Wegovy, Zepbound weight-loss benefit
Cigna said on Wednesday it was launching an add-on to pharmacy benefit management plans in which patients could pay no more than $200 a month out-of-pocket for weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound.
reut.rs
May 21, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Seems like great news for folks that have Cigna.
I am heart broken. Before going to bed, we learned that my daughter’s crew team had suffered a devastating act of vandalism.
May 18, 2025 at 12:19 PM
I am heart broken. Before going to bed, we learned that my daughter’s crew team had suffered a devastating act of vandalism.
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
Ok, this is it, this is the post.
You've heard about Ozempic, and maybe the better next gen Mounjaro? These drugs are a profound game changer in metabolic science.
The one I'm on is newer and it laps them both. E.g. it cures fatty liver. We've never had a treatment for that!
You've heard about Ozempic, and maybe the better next gen Mounjaro? These drugs are a profound game changer in metabolic science.
The one I'm on is newer and it laps them both. E.g. it cures fatty liver. We've never had a treatment for that!
Keep meaning to do a thread on how being "skinny"* for the first time in my life is such a wild trip but I struggle with how to frame it: I feel SO angry at how callous & stupid the world's understanding of obesity is.
This new body is INCREDIBLY easy to inhabit in myriad ways, which pisses me off.
This new body is INCREDIBLY easy to inhabit in myriad ways, which pisses me off.
May 18, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Ok, this is it, this is the post.
You've heard about Ozempic, and maybe the better next gen Mounjaro? These drugs are a profound game changer in metabolic science.
The one I'm on is newer and it laps them both. E.g. it cures fatty liver. We've never had a treatment for that!
You've heard about Ozempic, and maybe the better next gen Mounjaro? These drugs are a profound game changer in metabolic science.
The one I'm on is newer and it laps them both. E.g. it cures fatty liver. We've never had a treatment for that!
Happy Saturday, friends! I submitted multiple agent queries last week and may do a few more this weekend. I'm back in the submitting mood, and I'm feeling great. How's your weekend starting?
May 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Happy Saturday, friends! I submitted multiple agent queries last week and may do a few more this weekend. I'm back in the submitting mood, and I'm feeling great. How's your weekend starting?
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs....... they’re exposing America’s healthcare crisis. ‘It is hard to understand why insurance company decisions would be better or more evidence-based than those of the board-certified physicians who are prescribing the medications'.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Who deserves weight-loss drugs? | David A Kessler
The struggle to obtain these medications illustrates the dangerous mess the US healthcare system has become, writes the former FDA chief
www.theguardian.com
May 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs....... they’re exposing America’s healthcare crisis. ‘It is hard to understand why insurance company decisions would be better or more evidence-based than those of the board-certified physicians who are prescribing the medications'.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Just submitted a query to an agent; first one I've done in a few months. Feels good to be back on the querying train again.
May 14, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Just submitted a query to an agent; first one I've done in a few months. Feels good to be back on the querying train again.
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
People taking Eli Lilly’s obesity drug, Zepbound, lost nearly 50% more weight than those using rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in the first head-to-head study of the blockbuster medications.
Zepbound beats Wegovy for weight loss in first head-to-head trial of blockbuster drugs
A new study shows that people Zepbound lost about 50% more weight than those using Wegovy. It was the first head-to-head trial of the blockbuster weight-loss medications.
bit.ly
May 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM
People taking Eli Lilly’s obesity drug, Zepbound, lost nearly 50% more weight than those using rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in the first head-to-head study of the blockbuster medications.
I feel like I need to get back to a place where I make regular space for creativity in my life. I've been so focused on my health journey recently that I haven't done my daily art and writing. Time to get back to it!
May 11, 2025 at 1:13 PM
I feel like I need to get back to a place where I make regular space for creativity in my life. I've been so focused on my health journey recently that I haven't done my daily art and writing. Time to get back to it!
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
This is a really interesting piece, and these points are ones I notice a lot in the discourse around GLP-1 drugs: much of the antipathy to them is in & of itself fatphobia, anger or anxiety that takers are “cheating” their way out of the fat = lazy, slim = hard work paradigm.
May 11, 2025 at 6:39 AM
This is a really interesting piece, and these points are ones I notice a lot in the discourse around GLP-1 drugs: much of the antipathy to them is in & of itself fatphobia, anger or anxiety that takers are “cheating” their way out of the fat = lazy, slim = hard work paradigm.
Reposted by Merlina McGovern
New weight loss drugs “are not a panacea for the obesity crisis that has engulfed the nation,” writes David Kessler, a former F.D.A. commissioner. “But their effectiveness underscores the fact that being overweight or obese was never the result of a lack of willpower.”
Opinion | In a World of Addictive Foods, We Need New Weight-Loss Drugs
We may now be at the brink of reclaiming our health.
www.nytimes.com
May 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
New weight loss drugs “are not a panacea for the obesity crisis that has engulfed the nation,” writes David Kessler, a former F.D.A. commissioner. “But their effectiveness underscores the fact that being overweight or obese was never the result of a lack of willpower.”