Review of 2025

 Annual Review: 2025

Another year has passed, and it is time for my usual annual reflection on thoughts and activities throughout the year.

Symptoms

During 2025, the key symptom change for me is fatigue. I am noticing that I feel more fatigued more than I have previously. Some of that fatigue is mental fatigue and some of it is physical fatigue. My main intervention on the fatigue front is to drop the number of hours that I work each week. 2026 will see attention being paid to (a) if that makes a difference to fatigue, and (b) if I can survive adequately on the corresponding reduced salary.

I continue using baclofen, and I'm using my walking poles most of the time. I have opened doors into new service areas - occupational therapy (OT) and further bladder things. The result of these is that I'm going to book up various OT recommended appointments early in 2026, and will fully start intermittent self-catheterisation. 

In 2024 I received a second night split, and in 2023 I got a foam roller. During 2025 I realise that I'm not using these as much as I would like, so they also need to get on my 2026 agenda. In my review early 2023 I noted the idea to get a rowing machine. I got this after I moved house in mid-2024, but it hasn't seen much action - another item for 2026.

Essentially, I need to spend more time each day managing my HSP, and I don't really like that idea - I think that HSP already fills a fair proportion of my day, and to oblige myself to spend more doesn't feel right, even though each of those things should help my path delaying the inevitable move towards wheeled mobility aids. 

This Blog

During 2025 I haven't really ben paying attention to readership, and life has been very busy. Therefore, I've fallen out of the monthly posting. I post about most of my blog posts on Facebook, Instagram and X. I thank everyone who reads this blog, including people making comments appreciating what I say. Such feedback reinforces the reasons for writing the blog.  

Survey

No change from 2024 - I haven't had the time or energy to get a survey for 2025. 

Community Contribution

HSP Community activities for 2025 have not changed from recent years, including:

• Being Chair of HSP Support Group
• Representing the UK at EuroHSP
• Carrying on with the Enable disability network at work
• Involvement with the ED&I group at the Institute of Acoustics
• Conversations/interviews with people about my HSP 

The main element of my community contribution is once again from being chair of the HSP support group, despite decreased enthusiasm at times. The trustees and I work to help the group appropriately support its members. You can help too - please reach out to help us.

Knowledge

Similarly to the last couple of years, I don't feel like I've spent much time looking into new things. I am pleased there are research teams progressing with work. There are some interesting reports from recent projects, including those run by EuroHSP. I hope to be able to read more about these projects and report them here.