One day in November, as I was needing to dash back to my house to get something I forgot, I discovered I couldn't quite do it. It's an uphill path, but still. It was difficult to push off and land on my right leg. I made up my mind to learn exercises to strengthen the right leg: one-legged squats, isometric presses against a wall, stair-climbing focusing on one leg, single-leg footwork on the Pilates Reformer. But instead of making me stronger, I developed low-level chronic pain down the front of my right thigh that the focused exercise made worse, to the point of limping.

It's possible I did too much. I've been known to do that. But exploring the issue with my physical therapist this week is leading me to believe that there does seem to be some ongoing issue with my femoral nerve. As she explained to me, if there's some problem with the nerve, the associated muscles can't strengthen.

I was progressing so nicely! And it's frustrating to be in a holding pattern. Stay turned as I report back on the outcome of my upcoming visit with a neurologist.