i've been thinking about this 'pancreatic insufficiency' thing.
mostly we think about the pancreas as an endocrine gland, doing its
insulin/glucagon thing, but its also an exocrine gland, and secretes the
enzymes necessary to digest protein and fat.  if your friend was a
vegetarian for a long time, especially on a low-fat diet, she probably
didn't need too much of these enzymes to get by, but now, on a
high-protein/high-fat diet, she's feeling it.
hopefully, her body might, over time, adjust to the extra protein/fat, and
kick in more enzymes to help her digestion.  otherwise, or in the meantime,
see if she can buy some pancreatic enzyme supplements, like at GNC or somewhere.

JoAnn.