[paulmac_ie]

I was also diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer when I was 10. In my case, it was the late 1980's and the H. pylori cause of ulcers wasn't accepted or widely known.

I spent a week in bed in excruciating pain, throwing up blood regularly. The doctor visited a couple of times, I'm not sure what he told my mother, but it was a week before he agreed I should go to hospital.

At that stage I was severely anemic and had peritonitis. I ended up in surgery to have a third of my stomach and some of my small intestine removed. A couple of weeks in intensive care and another few weeks in the children's ward before I was strong enough to go home.

When I left, I was told that I shouldn't eat acidic or spicy foods, and that I had an ulcer because of stress. I was 10, and I can tell you, while we didn't have a whole lot, I was far from being stressed.

Nearly 40 years later that surgery still impacts on my life. I still have some digestion issues, but knowing that Warren's & Marshall's work has prevented others from repeating my experiences has been some comfort.

Good on your doctor for trying something experimental which had such a great outcome.