First off, "WELCOME" to the NeuroTalk Forum!

I know very intimately off what you speak and how you feel. After 10 years of progressive symptoms and a couple of misdiagnosis, I was finally confirmed in November 2009 to have Spinocerebellar Atrophy with Ataxia, Cerebellar Degenerative Disease with Ataxia, Dysarthria and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Let me refer you to my post after my confirmed diagnosis, which took 10 years of progressive complex symptoms to determine with the right neuro: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread110749.html

This has been one of the most informative websites I found in my research and I'm sure you will agree:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ataxia.pages/index.htm

I hope these links start you on you way of fully understanding what you're dealing with in SCA. I would also recommend you visit my personal blog listed in my sig file and go back to December 17, 2009 and move forward. I post in detail my experiences to date with this disease.

Feel free to contact me directly for any research assistance, share experiences, vent, or just talk to one who has been and is still there.