In any of your surgeries, did you try an adhesion barrier? There are a couple already out there and at least one more probably available sometime next year. The two I have heard about I've heard some success with, although they don't help everybody. The one that might be available next year I was in a clinical trial for this summer, with good results so far, but hard to say what will happen long-term. As far as expecting an answer by Christmas, don't know whether that's unreasonable or not. I have one area of pain which has been going off and on for over a year now which the GI doctor gave me a prescription for that sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't and he wouldn't even try to guess what it could be, although I'm coming to think it's GI related because of what helps and what doesn't. So if the problem isn't that obvious, it might be hard to answer by Christmas.
Sue Ann