Wife says she is concerned I have Parkinson's

I am 67 years old. I have always been an athlete. I am a US Marine. Several years ago I attended the Florida Forestry Tour for Educators. I was shocked that I could not keep up with the group an walking tours. I have a great deal of Arthritis in my right hip and right elbow.

My right ankle has been operated on, 5 operations on my left knee (high school sports, Marine Corps, auto accident) - the last was a total replacement. The doctor made my right leg an inch shorter than left. It really hurt my hip when I stood to sing in church because of length difference. Now I have an inch added to my right shoe. Right shoulder ball replaced (rifle and shotgun shooting).

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I have diabetes. As I look back at high school sports I realize I have always been very insulin resistant. I was good at baseball, basketball, and soccer but could not run a 440. I simply ran out of go juice. I would walk the end of the race. Now when I work out I can feel my muscles empty of energy. At first I thought I was having low sugar spells. When done working out I must lay down for an hour to get back energy. I work out for an hour each time, 18 machines.

I have great difficulty standing and walking at the end of a meal. It is as I my hips get welded. After a dozen steps I loosen up.

I walk very slow. My wife has pain if she walks slow. She walks at her pace, stops and waits for me. She stops several times going from the car into a grocery store.

I have thought my hip pain was from the 1,000 sit ups I used to do with 100 pounds on my chest in the Marine Corps. Now I am not so sure that is the only reason.

I will volunteer to teach at an elementary agriculture academy when school starts. This week I could hardly walk after being at school to prepare my room. Lots of pain at night. After sleeping I am pretty much pain free in the morning. I use a lot of Blue-Emu. It really works for me.

By the end of the day I simply need to go to bed and stretch out. When we have visitors in the evening, I am OK for about an hour then need to excuse myself and go lay down.

I seem to lose balance when I dry my hair after a shower. I am generally more concerned about balance as I have gotten older.

What kind of doctor treats Parkinson's? Is there medicine that helps?

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