Every time I asked the doctor a question about my stomachache, now going on for two months, there was a silence, as though he didn't know the answer, or was afraid of saying something wrong and being sued.

He told me to take antacid tablets and ordered a blood test. The first one found nothing. Then he ordered a second, and--eureka--they found it: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori for short).

The doctor prescribed some medication for it. Any questions I asked about the medication or how it worked were met with silence. Was he afraid of saying too much, or too little?

Now I had a name but still couldn't get any information. I was frustrated.

Then it occurred to me that I had a tremendous resource available--the Internet. I typed in the word helicobacter and H. Pylori Foundation came up. I was immediately able to print out about 20 pages of text describing the disease, the bacterium, the symptoms, the treatment--everything I had wanted the doctor to tell me. There was even a video of H. pylori swimming around in someone's (my) stomach.

Now I knew my enemy. I could feel the little bastards--I mean bacters-- in my stomach trembling with fear.

For thousands of years this gastric wizard has been hiding in our stomachs. It survives the hydrochloric acid, which doctors used to think kept the stomach free from bacteria, by burrowing into the mucus lining where neither the acid nor the drugs taken to kill it can get at it easily. And to top it all off, if some acid does get to it, it secretes a neutralizing solution for protection. Thus it survives where nothing else can.

When the solution is secreted, it breaks down the mucus lining, and acid penetrates, causing gastric distress and ulcers. For years medical science could only treat the symptoms with antacid. Thinking that the cause was stress or spicy foods, doctors urged patients to avoid stress and had them subsist on a diet of jello and cottage cheese.

But in 1982 Dr. B. J. Marshall flipped the medical world upside down by suggesting that the little bacter is one of the main causes of ulcers and immune deficiencies. He came up with the idea of using drugs to neutralize the acid and antibiotics to kill the bacterium.

This is exactly what my doctor had prescribed, but he didn't tell me anything about it except that it was a brand new treatment. That explained why he didn't know much. The very next day I found out from an article in the morning paper that it had been approved only the day before.

It's estimated that 20% of people below the age of 40 and 50% of those over 60 in Western countries have this bacterium. Scientists are not sure exactly how it's transmitted. Once you get it, it won't go away unless it's treated. I could have had it for years. Doctors can't diagnose it easily; one way is to check the level of antigens in your blood. These are the good bacteria that attack your enemy. If their count is high, you probably have it. A breath test to do it directly is being developed, and a biopsy of stomach tissue is possible, but unappealing.

I have a new doctor now. When I showed her all the information I had about H pylori, I was surprised to find out how much she already knew. She said to me, "I should get on the Internet." I agreed.

So if you have a continual or recurring stomachache, are grumpy because of it, and take Rolaids or Pepto-Bismol regularly, you'd better see your doctor and get your antigens checked. To get the information I received, either type in helicobacter, as I did, or go to the following Internet address:http://www.helico.com:80/web/pylorweb.html

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