You can definitely have MALS and still be able to eat. I know because I'm one of those cases. I do however get severe stabbing pains and nausea during and after intense exercise. Anything that gets my blood pressure up will do it, as well as sleeping on my right side or sitting too long. It is true that most diagnosed cases present with inability to eat, but it's not exclusive. A lot of what you're describing does sound a lot like SIBO to me though, which I've also had. I've taken rifaximin, got better, and then all the GI symptoms came back. Tried 2 rounds of antimicrobial herbs, stuck to the FODMAP diet, and now a soil-based probiotic and I'm doing much better with that. I'd definitely rule out SIBO because it can be cured without surgery. MALS also can upset GI functioning, because the celiac nerves are also being compressed. Usually that means pain/nausea, but IBS and SIBO symptoms seem to go hand in hand with MALS for a lot of people. It makes me wonder if a celiac plexus nerve block might be a good test for you.

For your sake though, I hope it is not MALS and is something else you can figure out because MALS surgery is no joke. I had my first surgery in 2015 and all they did was release the ligament laparoscopically, only to have symptoms slowly return about 2 years ago. There are multiple theories and approaches to this surgery, so it's all on the patient to research and decide which surgeon and method to trust. I would continue pressing your GI docs or find one with a little more curiosity and compassion, until you reach a clear diagnosis.