Thanks for clearing that up Sid
Better or worse ??
like a kids school play ground senario - my disability is superior to yours ??
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Yes Ataxia is rare and we need to remember that.
There is a fair amount of research going on some we know about some we may not..
alot of charities are working very hard to achieve good results. Many like ataxiaUK are colaborating with other Ataxia related organisations to make true progress on this issue.
Als in the real world things like research results dont happen overnight, so we have to be patient / realistic.
As you know I "make my views" heard and make my presence at many conferences and meetings where there maybe a chance that networking with people will be advantageous for this raredisease and US the patients.
by coincdience I have been invited to attend a raredisease / ophan drug seminar in Wales during September, this has come about because of my perseverence, I have been told that when the word Ataxia or raredisease is mentioned in the Welsh Assembly Government (or most these circles) automatically my name is mentioned
thats awareness there and then
Thank you for your hard work, Alan! Y ou are becoming the most famous Ataxian. A great specimen of a rare species 
You are right, ataxia is rare and this makes it harder for researches as they do not have many cases to study. Plus, not every one is willing to be a guinea pig and get in a study, depending what it involves.
Take care and stay as well as you can!
Dear Jan, It's just my humble opinion, but I believe whatever (MS or Ataxia) one is dealing with is important for several reasons. Both are different from each other (MS affects the myletin (spell ?) that covers the nerves, whereas ataxia affects the cerebellum and in some types the brainstem and spinal cord), although they share some of the same symptoms. Although MS has some drugs that work quite well, there's no cure, which is a commonality of ataxia also. And like ataxia, there's different degrees of MS. MS is auto-immune and some ataxia's are as well. On a different note, I've had nothing but positive experiences with neurologists. I agree with what Cicina said. It must be extremely frustrating for a neurologist to deal with an incurable disease. I also think NAF and UK Ataxia are working hard towards a cure. Maybe I look through life with rose-colored glasses, but I need to think positively! I may not have control of my ataxia, but I do have control of my attitude. My neurologist is an ataxia expert and researcher, and I have faith in him. I'm truly sorry many have not had a positive experience with they're neurologist/doctor. ;o)
Here we go!
I have not as yet been told exactly what my ataxia is other than it is ataxia and it is progressive and that it is highly unlikely that my condition will improve - it will deteriorate and has.
My father is now regularly seeing the neurologist that I used to see (I changed to another neuro due to ill health of the former one). Dad has now had it confirmed that he has Cerebellar Ataxia and has, with permission from all involved, had his medical records compared with mine. I await confirmation or denial of this but it has been speculated that I too have Cerebellar Ataxia - I am currently still under observation for this! It is also speculated that my grandfather had some form of ataxia that was not diagnosed due to medical knowledge at the time. My grandfather had much the same problems as my father and myself and was bed bound in his later years. Odd thing is, I have had it confirmed by genetic testing that my ataxia is not (medically speaking) hereditary.
So! That's the ataxia side of the debate with regard to my family. Onto MS!
I have two aunties that have MS and a female (first) cousin currently undergoing tests for MS or other similar condition. The elder of my aunts is very poorly with her MS and this has made her more or less house bound. The other aunt is still active as much as she can manage.
One of the odd things about my condition is that I have had it suggested to me that although my ataxia seems to not be hereditary, I should give serious thought to not starting a family of my own / not have children (this was by a neurologist). Another odd thing is that in talking to my parents about how dad is affected and how his and my own medical records compare, it has been stated by someone on the medical team looking at our cases that although I do not have MS, I "may as well have MS as his (my) condition is as bad as ...".
Agghh!!
So which is better or worst ataxia or MS?
I see dad not getting any better every day, I see my own condition slowly deteriorating, I often see my (younger of the two) aunt and see how MS is eating away at her and I rarely see my other aunt who has MS but I hear about her every week or so and have noticed how she is getting so very much worse.
I do not know which is better but I do know that (in my opinion) MS is much more widely known about and much more understood by the public and approached better in or by the medical profession.
Sorry if that came over as a rant - those are my views though.