Storm,
It does sound like your symptoms are worse then mine. The stomach issues are similar, but I've never had acid coughed-up on a pillow yet.
One thing to keep in mind is that GERD is genetic. I have it, so did my Dad, Mom, both siblings, and even my 7 yo nephew (that one blew me away). However, that does make sense since it's root cause is a problem with an esophogus muscle. So make sure your kids are aware of it so they can be on the look out later in life.
Hope it works out fine. Worse case scenario, there is an operation to correct the damage and strengthen the muscle.