balance and dizziness

I am being treated by a neuro opthomologist for severe balance/dizziness on going for almost a year, with severe headaches.So far I have had a c-scan,MRI and recently a PET scan.There are irregularities in the veins/arteries of the brain and a shrinking of the cerebellum and a left carotid artery-75%.There has been years of incredable stress, but ,my late mother had the same symptoms after age 55. She has been dead 28yrs. Can you give me an idea of what this condition might be? No answers yet from Dr.,

[dr_simran]

Hello h_a_m_I_s_h_,

You might be having Spinocerebellar ataxia, which  is one of a group of genetic disorders characterized by slowly progressive incoordination of gait and often associated with poor coordination of hands, speech, and eye movements. Frequently, atrophy of the cerebellum occurs.
As with other forms of ataxia, SCA results in unsteady and clumsy motion of the body due to a failure of the fine coordination of muscle movements, along with other symptoms.
The symptoms of the condition vary with the specific type (there are several), and with the individual patient. Generally, a person with ataxia retains full mental capacity but may progressively lose physical control.
There is no known cure for spinocerebellar ataxia, which is a progressive disease (it gets worse with time), although not all types cause equally severe disability.
Treatments are generally limited to softening symptoms, not the disease itself. The condition can be irreversible. A person with this disease will usually end up needing to use a wheelchair, and eventually they may need assistance to perform daily tasks.
The treatment of incoordination or ataxia, then mostly involves the use of adaptive devices to allow the ataxic individual to maintain as much independence as possible. Such devices may include a cane, crutches, walker, or wheelchair for those with impaired gait; devices to assist with writing, feeding, and self care if hand and arm coordination are impaired; and communication devices for those with impaired speech.
Many patients with hereditary or idiopathic forms of ataxia have other symptoms in addition to ataxia. Medications or other therapies might be appropriate for some of these symptoms, which could include tremor, stiffness, depression, spasticity, and sleep disorders, among others.
Both onset of initial symptoms and duration of disease can be subject to variation. If the disease is caused by a polyglutamine trinucleotide repeat CAG expansion, a longer expansion may lead to an earlier onset and a more radical progression of clinical symptoms.

Refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinocerebellar_ataxia
Best.

[h_a_m_I_s_h_]

I hope I am sending this back to the right person. Thank you for your comments re:SCA. I will now await the results of the PET  scan and be armed with the question of my possibility fitting this condition. I keep spinning, etc without rhyme nor reason, so I am unable to plot when my balance goes and some days the dizziness is not as bad as others. I do note however that by evening, I am very tired and dizzy. My hands shake violently, then stop and I can hold coffee, then I pick it up again and must put it down .I can no longer write my name one minute and the next, can do a poor scribble. Your response has given me some peace of mind that I am not crazy and can accept whatever comes about, at least question possibilities to the Drs., as, I have heard nothing for a week. I thought I had a glioma, but no word is good. Thank you again.