When I was 3 or 4 my Dad's ulcer perforated and was bleeding. They got him stable in the hospital and had to have 1/2 of his stomach removed. I remember it so well, my dad is a preacher and back then we were ages 10, 4, and my sister was 1 1/2. We lived in the mountains of VA, with dad preaching in a small church. They sent Dad to the hospital in Charlottesville (at UVA), mom had to stay with us, because we had no family near by, so dad went by himself. I remember him being gone a long time (at that age it seemed like a year) and I don't really know how long it was. But I don't think that they do that anymore, I think they try to treat the ulcer not remove it.