Brain stem atrophy

My recent MRI showed brain stem atrophy.  I had the MRI because one day i woke up, got a bowl of cereal, turned on the TV and started to eat.  First my right hand shook-moved with large movements, not small tremors, as I moved my spoon.  Only that 1st move had the tremor. Next the movie on TV made no sense.  At first I thought it was just one of those odd movies designed to be that way.  Then I realized that I could only recall 1 actor's name out of 6 A-list actors.  At this point I realized that the likelihood of all 6 of them choosing to be in a bad movie was very unlikely.  I realized my problem processing the who's married to whom etc. stuff was a problem with me.  I also realized one side of my face felt a little numb and tingly.  I thought maybe I was having a stroke.  When I tried to call my son I could not figure out exactly how to use my cell phone.  This really scared me and I became a little hysterical.  It took me 45 minutes to figure out how to call my son.  By then I did not trust my perceptions; but almost an hour after my symptoms started they began to resolve.   The one sided partial numbness and headache lasted all day. CAT scan: normal. Neuro exam: not stroke like in many ways. Decided maybe it was caused by a bladder infection.  That does happen in seniors.  I am  50.  MRI showed brain stem atrophy.  It is VERY had to find a precise link on line.  Yet several horrifying degenerative diseases are associated with it.  I and seeing a neurologist next week.  Can anyone narrow the field of possibilities for me or list your own implications?

[granma9]

my husband who has seizure is doing the same thing-he was told he had aluminum posioning from working with aluminum dust ect and now they say this is causing the atrophy-he is 56 and it started when he was in early 40s if you find out please let me know good luck and thaaaaaaanks