Machado-joseph ?

[BlueJay]

Hi y'all.

I was wondering if anyone here or anyone's family members has been diagnosed with Machado-Joseph Disease (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/machado_joseph/detail_machado_joseph.htm) I've been trying to find out info not only about this disease, but also if it can help me to identify some of my ancestors.
My maternal grandfather's cousins and their children have been suffering (some dying) with this disease. Thankfully, none of my grandfather's children has been diagnosed nor show signs of it.

We've been told by family members who spoke in a meeting with some doctor studying the disease that it's called "the old Indian disease". The only indians who I've found to have this ataxia are the Melungeons, and I think they're really a tri-racial group. My grandfather's great-grandfather was Indian, but it was believed that he was Cheyenne or Comanche. But I'm not sure if he's the carrier or if his wife was. The only other groups where its predominantly found in are Azoreans and Portuguese.

Anyone heard of this?

[roxygirl]

Hi y'all.

I was wondering if anyone here or anyone's family members has been diagnosed with Machado-Joseph Disease (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/machado_joseph/detail_machado_joseph.htm) I've been trying to find out info not only about this disease, but also if it can help me to identify some of my ancestors.
My maternal grandfather's cousins and their children have been suffering (some dying) with this disease. Thankfully, none of my grandfather's children has been diagnosed nor show signs of it.

We've been told by family members who spoke in a meeting with some doctor studying the disease that it's called "the old Indian disease". The only indians who I've found to have this ataxia are the Melungeons, and I think they're really a tri-racial group. My grandfather's great-grandfather was Indian, but it was believed that he was Cheyenne or Comanche. But I'm not sure if he's the carrier or if his wife was. The only other groups where its predominantly found in are Azoreans and Portuguese.

Anyone heard of this?
[/b]
hi bluejay,

i'm not sure of any of the specifics of the disease, but a classmate and old friend of mine recently died from it. he was black (both of his parents were black), though i'm not sure of his background beyond that. we weren't in touch much after high school (which was when he was diagnosed, though none of us knew he was sick until we were well into college), but i know it caused his body to deteriorate quickly.

when we were in HS, we noticed he was clumsier than usual during our senior year. he would walk unevenly and fell down when he was going up to accept an award during Senior Night. :( after that, i wasn't sure of what exactly happened, but i heard he was in a wheelchair and unable to express himself without assistance from a family member. i think a lot of people mistook what he had for Lou Gehrig's Disease, but his obit identified it as Machado-Joseph.

i'm sorry to hear that it's running in part of your family, and i pray that the rest of you continue to stay healthy.