Sometimes You Have to Drink the Problem

When the Best Way Forward Looks Insane to Everyone Else.

My dad always had stomach ulcers.

I grew up with an "old dad" (he was 51 when I was born), and ulcers were just part of his existence. Both Mom and Dad often pointed out that stress was a major cause of ulcers, and there wasn’t much relief for them. He’d take Tagamet, which helped somewhat, but by and large, he just lived with the pain and discomfort.

His ulcers became a kind of specter in our lives. Don’t stress out Dad, it exacerbates his ulcers. Make sure you show up on time—the ulcers!

Tagamet, released in 1976, was the first "blockbuster" drug to generate over $1 billion in sales. Then Zantac came along in 1981, becoming an even bigger seller and the new go-to to help with Dad’s pain. When his ulcers got really bad, he’d also drink milk and eat bland foods.

Unfortunately for Dad, he’d never heard of Barry Marshall.

Who, you might ask, is Barry Marshall? Well, in 1982, while Dad was popping Tagamet like Skittles and carefully watching his stress levels, a young Australian doctor and hi…