Is it wise to cut off old wrinkled Cattleya leaves?

[Cindy K]

I have a Cattleya Orchid that I received as a gift about 2 years ago. Within a week of its arrival, the flowers dropped off and the leaves started turning black! Unsure what to do, I cut off all the black leaves and repotted. The plant did nothing for about 6 months but I was finally rewarded with a tiny new shoot! Almost 2 years later, I now have 4 shoots but none are taller than 3". The plant still has 3 of the original leaves but these are very skinny and wrinkled. They are about 12" tall. I was wondering if it would be best to cut off all 3 of the original leaves to promote more growth of the small leaves? I water and fertilize weekly. I know that patience is a virtue (especially with orchids) but my husband is starting to think I'm crazy babying this plant along!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!