About & Contact

Hi, I’m Laurie—a 48-year-old mom of three, a dog lover, and someone who’s been navigating health challenges for most of my life. At 23, I was diagnosed with complete heart block and had a pacemaker implanted. Since then, I’ve faced struggles with my weight, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and other health issues.

After years of ups and downs, I made the life-changing decision to undergo bariatric surgery. I started Laurie Unblocked to share my journey—not just the practical tips and resources, but the raw, emotional side of it too. From the fears and frustrations to the small victories and moments of hope, I’m here to talk about it all.

My goal is to create a safe, supportive space where we can navigate this journey together, with honesty, vulnerability, and a little bit of humor along the way. Whether you’re considering bariatric surgery, in the midst of your own journey, or just looking for a little inspiration, I’d love to connect. Let’s take this step together—you’re not alone.

Interests:

Reading, my dogs, being creative, lifelong learning, travel, family, household DIY.

Favorite Movies:

The Purge franchise, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Labyrinth, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, V for Vendetta

Favorite Music:

Pretty much anything that catches my ear. I'm guilty of over-streaming Beyonce.

Favorite Books:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ready Player One, The Girl with All the Gifts, Speaking of Summer, Parable of the Sower

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?

I like to get into my bed with lots of pillows and blankets. My dogs cuddle up, one on my side and one at my feet (they swap spots depending on the day). Then I will spend an hour or so watching TV, scrolling through social media, or reading a book.

Click here to contact Laurie

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All of the Skin Issues!

My skin has been a mess for the past month or so. I sought out the help of a dermatologist at the beginning of April because my skin was red, blotchy and I was waking up with tiny white heads every morning. So fun! It turns out I have rosacea. I have spent the last month slathering on a treatment gel in the morning, a treatment lotion before bed, and added a weekly heavy duty acne wash to my normal Cetaphil face washes. My skin is a little less red, but its still super blotchy and I have more acne now then I did at 16. In addition to my face being out of control, my skin is sooooooo dry! I slather my hands in heavy duty dry hand lotion at least 4 times a day. It seems to help my hands overall, but the skin by my nails is still extremely dry and full of hangnails. I added an oil body wash to my shower routine and follow up with a healthy slathering of body butter with added oil. That has helped some of the dry itchiness. I'm also starting to notice that I have so...

Tracking (and thinking about tracking)

I will admit, I am better about tracking my food after surgery than I was before. It seems immensely more important now to make sure I hit those protein and water goals when I can only eat a little at a time. I also notice how much more exhausted I am if I don't hit those goals. I tried tracking apps and I just couldn't find one that felt right. Currently, the only goals I am tracking are protein and water. I can't each more than 3 to 4 ounces at a time and it's all protein and fiber, so there isn't much else to worry about. Most of the apps want way more information than that and it felt very overwhelming. Then I looked at paper trackers that you could buy. I found printable ones online that could go into a planner or journal. I found entire books. None of those seemed right for me either. Some were too busy, some were not organized in a way that made sense to me. It was a bit disappointing, but led me to where I needed to be. I used to really love scrapbooking,...

ONLY 3 lbs?!?! And how I pushed myself too far last week.

I had my 6 week follow up at the surgeon's office last week. Everything is going really well and there are no concerns about my surgery recovery or progress, except for my concerns about that scale. I know about stalls. I know that it's still a loss. I logically know all of the things, but it still stung looking at that number. Going into it I expected to see a big number. I'd only seen 10 pounds from my surgery date to my first visit and that surprised me with all the stories of big big losses that first visit. I accepted the fact that I was still having a lot of inflammation from surgery. I also conceded that I was retaining water and that was ok. However, going into this next appointment I felt like this was it. I was going to see at least 10 more pounds. My clothes are getting loose and there are inches gone. I had a shirt on that had been very tight in the arms and it fit correctly. My sweatpants couldn't be trusted outside of the house because they were fallin...

Laurie Unblocked: My Bariatric Journey

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