I had one removed from the fundus of my stomach in January. I had a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy at the same time to remove a large tumor in my pancreas. 3% of my stomach was removed along with the 2-3 cm GIST. Surgeon said they can turn from benign to malignant so best to get it removed at the same time. They normally never recur once removed. The healing was not too bad. Just no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for 6 - 8 weeks. Everyone heals at their own pace.