Bouts of Bad Times and Breaks from pain?

Hi All - I have been sick the past 2 years, and diagnosed with MALS, and scheduling surgery for early 2026. One thing I am curious about is if others find that they have cylcical pain? I feel like I see people who are in agony all the time or they have other symptoms that are not pain related. My first flare up of bad pain that kept me from eating or barely even drinking was December 2023 - Feb 2024. I landed in the hospital, and they didn't look for or find MALS, they said 'fat infarction' - but loaded me up with steroids and I spent the next 6 months pain free. I did develop raynauds during this time, was feeling weak, blood pooling in feet, a bit of pain and uncomfortableness around my ribcage from time to time. Then, it all picked back up again in August-Feb. Started off with lower right pain (now suspected pelvic congestion caused exasperated by MALS) - eventually moved to pain in my chest/ribs - inability to breath well. Sort of faded out - a bit of symptoms but nothing horrible again until July-October - horrible pain, inability to even swallow water. The surgeon made a comment that this was a highly irregular presentation and it makes me worry there is still some other issue besides MALS... now, getting ready for surgery, I am nervous that there is some other reason for all of my pain and that the surgery will do nothing. What has your pain been like.