Bill, some where along the years I studied Biochemistry.  I too had a terrible time with heart burn.  I met a doctor who had been trained in Germany.  He suggested Betaine HCL with pepsin.  It works.  The first step in digestion is with Hydrochloric acid and pepsin.  If you miss these steps you will invaible have heart burn as the wrong Ph activates the wrong enzymes.  Digestion is then a problem all the way.  Poor digestion will cause a lot of problems health wise.  This may not cure everything but it is a step in the right direction and you might be surprised at the results.
 
Your can find Betaine HCL in many health food store.  It is not popular because it is not a prescrition medication and most doctors have never heard of it.  It is so cheap and effective that the that it would run the hearburn business out of business.  It is hypo-alergenic and usually never causes problems.  I usually take three for a normal meal but had to take  more some times.  You might try it one at a time to learn how much to take at a time.  You take it before you eat long enough for the pills to disolve.  Normal stomach has about twenty cc of one tenth normal hydrochloric acid in it fasting.  If you can bring your stomach up to that level with Betaine you will find a lot of relief.  Your stomach is probably inflamed and sore.  In this case you may want to wait until you are ready to eat before taking the pills.  It is really hard to take  too many as it is a lot of  trouble to be taking a handful of pills.  I am praying for your wife.  Mine has gone on ahead of me.  I turned 90 last summer and it is lonely down here.  Paul