Lasers are Finished! (until next week)

Noelle finished up the initial stages of her laser treatments with the 6th session on her elbows and shoulders. She now has 4 "booster" treatments (4 each for the front & back) that she can get as she needs them over the next few months. I will probably get a booster for her hips & spine next week.

Now that we have reached the end, I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed with the results. I guess I was hoping for a miracle but Noelle doesn't seem any better off than she was before the laser stuff started. In fact, I think she may be worse. I do not blame the lasers for that. I just think that the weather sucks and that she has lost so much muscle mass over the years. I feel so bad for her sometimes. The spirit is willing, but her body does not seem to want to cooperate. I just wish that the weather would warm up once and for all so that she could feel better. The weather here is so up & down, it is impossible for her to get any good feelings going for more than a day or two. This week is a perfect example - tomorrow it will be 79 degrees, Saturday it will be 52. Geez!

I look forward to being able to take her swimming again this summer. She loves to do it and it really helps her arthritis. But for now, I have started walking her up and down the hill by my office with the hope that it will begin to develop some muscle in her rear legs again. I am going to become Noelle's personal trainer this summer. So I hope she is ready!

Noelle wearing my safety glasses at her laser appointment

Noelle's New Playroom (or so she thinks)

My parents made the room over their garage into a playroom for my son Wyatt and his cousin Colin. Wyatt got to see it for the first time the other day. I left Noelle downstairs...but she couldn't take it and had to come upstairs to play! With her arthritis, climbing stairs isn't really her idea of fun, but nothing was going to keep her away from the action.

Here are a few pics of the fun:

Noelle, patiently (yeah right) waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

Supervising Wyatt!

Smiling & Having Fun

Showing Progress - Finally

Noelle finished up the laser treatments of her hips and lower spine last week. So this week she started getting her shoulders and elbows zapped. After 2 sessions she is finally beginning to show a little progress...let's hope that it lasts. How do I know it is working? Well we were outside at work today when all of a sudden she took off running. She preceded to walk and run so well that she left me far behind. When she turned around and saw how far back I was, she ran right back to me.

I'm not sure anyone could peel the smile off of my face.

Hopefully, she will improve even more since she has 4 treatments left.