monkey butts say what?
what kind of doctor/specialist do people have to see, that suffer/deal with these problems/conditions? sorry for asking so many questions...
a rheumatologist and neurologist though people see GI dr's, allergists, immunologists, dieticians amongst others. also, certain symptoms require more help controlling than others so that often determines how often you see who or if you see them at all.
and thank you for asking! 
thats really insane. as in unfathomable. scary. i cant imagine how strong someone would have to be to cope with that. are they (doctors/researchers) making any headway as far as treatments?
yeah this actually the first big interest/funding for research time. recently the first drug ever designed specifically for fibro was approved by the FDA, "Lyrica". other than that we use a trunk full (literally sometimes) of other drugs for off label use to manage symptoms as best as possible. until the last few years the validity of it and its sufferers' symptomology was always questioned. people were routinely considered psychiatric patients and moved into mental asylums throughout this century and before. it has taken a LOT of work, a LOT of voices for the medical community to really tackle it. i personally believe that it pathologically presented to drs as so confounding and bizarre - such a range of symptoms in various systems, no identifiable underlying cause for pain, etc - that it intimidated doctors and too many found it easier to say "this doesn't exist" rather than a simple "i don't know." this has really screwed patients. obviously. we've endured what is referred to as the "it's all in your head" (IAIYH) diagnoses/dismissal.
these years are the good ones. in just the past 5 years attitudes of the medical community have done a total 180 and it is now FINALLY being investigated as serious illness. already 2 gene proteins have been discovered that are specific to sufferers. we now have hard case evidence of genetic difference as well as discoveries of differences even on a mitochondrial level - that's cellular, pretty intense. neuro evidence too... so this nightmare of multiple systems fucked illness is finally getting some of the proper attention it deserves. we are the guinea pig generation and are offering ourselves up for anything but very very happy to do so. such optimistic times. there is still a lot of ignorance about it and lack of awareness of invisible illnesses in general. the whole "but you don't look sick" deal has it's huge advantages but blinds people to the possibility things may not be as they seem. you can only yell for so long. eventually that shit has to be repressed and you learn how to do it and not yelp about. people don't realize how that happens - there's no alternative duh. manage as best you can and try not to scream or cry. i've secretly cried in many a bathroom - dramatic comment.... and LONG!
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