Lula Jones - My Test Turned into a Testimony

My Test Turned Into a Testimony

Copyright 2015 Lula M. Jones

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

New York, NY

First originally published by Fulton Books 2015

ISBN 978-1-63338-014-1 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63338-015-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

I dedicate My Test Turned into a Testimony to my greatest encourager and supporter: my husband, Superintendent L. J. Jones; my children: Sharee Jones and Jonetta Walker; grandchildren: Antwan Foster, Regina Ogletree, Reginald Ogletree, Spansha Jones, and Renarldo Ogletree; great-grandchildren: Kayden Ogletree, Jaylen Reid, Jysire Reid, Jakayla Jones, Derriona Scott, DaleJah Scott, and Zykiel Singleton; godchildren: Minister RL, Pamela Brown, and Mary Neville; friends: Mrs. Gladys Swayne, Pearlie Brown, Bessie Brown, Dorothy Brown, and Carol Martin; sisters: Ida Fraley, Christine Babbs, Rosa M. Babbs, Cynthia Cooper, Betty Reynolds, Maetta Smith, Dr. Brenda Salter, and Betty J. Bell; brother: Ernest Babbs Sr.; cousins: Pansy Stephens, Claudia Coleman, and Bertha Spencer; nieces: Altimese Babbs, Kitina Cabiness, Angela Fraley, Sebrina Babbs, Vangela Babbs, Krystal Holmes, Tamekia Harris, and Karla Cromintia; great niece: Okemy A. Maxwell; nephews: Douglas Fraley Jr., Anderson Fraley, Ernest Babbs Jr., and Teddy D. Jackson. A special thanks to Carolyn Gay, my little angel.

Ovarian cancer had spread.

Thanks, Prophet Brantley, family, and friends. To God be the glory! He is truly the navigator of my life.

My Test Turned into a Testimony

November 11, 2012

On November 11, 2012, I had an attack of severe acid reflux and went to the emergency room at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, a hospital located in Macon, Georgia. While there, tests were given, and every result was positive and appeared good, but I knew something was wrong, and I asked the hospital staff to check my gallbladder. The doctor said that I could stay in the hospital overnight and take the gallbladder test the following morning, or I could go home and return the next morning at 10:00 a.m. I decided to return the next morning for the test. The results showed gallstones in my gallbladder. When I left the hospital and went to my family doctor, he recommended Dr. Danny Vaughn to perform the surgery to remove the stones and the gallbladder. I made it through the Thanksgiving holidays with the gallstones. As soon as the holiday was over, I was scheduled for surgery on December 6, 2012. Anytime you have surgery, you tend to worry. I obeyed my doctors, prayed, and trusted God during the waiting period before surgery. Finally, they came, and I was taken into surgery. Lo and behold, afterward, in the recovery room, I was told that the gallstones were not removed because they were not headed toward the duct, and there was no danger. But there was a bigger problem, cancer. It seemed that, as far as the doctors could see, there were spots on my stomach that were cancerous, and they had spread everywhere. The doctors began to run more tests because they were unable to tell where the cancer was coming from, but I knew the Lord did. So now I began to wait again.

The fact of the matter was my faith was so strong I believed the Lord could just breathe on it, and it would be taken care of. I began obeying the doctors, praying and trusting God, because I also knew that by mans eyes, cancer was big problem, but in the eyes of God, its nothing. I know that my God was bigger and greater than that little cancer. I prayed, Lord, turn this test into a testimony in your holy name. I went to every appointment with a positive attitude. The first appointment was a CT scan, and it was then that tumors were found in my pelvis and was ruled ovarian cancer. By then, I learned how to deal with acid reflux, yet I still trusted God. I began to feel better, relying on God to see me through anything and everything that came my way. I trusted God with my whole heart, going from doctor to doctor. The Lord was giving me peace during the process. In the midst of it all, I was calm and positive with the help of the Lord. Dr. Vaughn referred me to Dr. Deaton both doctors were super nice to me, which was a plus since I was going through tough times at the moment, and 2012 was turning into a nightmare. Dr. Deaton referred to Dr. Allan Gordon, who was another super nice and concerned doctor who took pride in his practice and patients. Praise the Lord! Dr. Deaton and Dr. Gordon were working together with me. After learning that Dr. Deaton would retire in June, I had to reprogram myself, but God kept me focused, with a praying spirit, in the right direction. My prayer was, Lord, please let this test become testimony. I had to stay focused for the sake of me and my husband, who had to continue with the ministry and not to worry about me. God kept me, so I didnt let go. Monday after Monday, those appointments started to flow along. Wednesday after Wednesday was the same. The more appointments, the more I trusted God. Finally, on a Wednesday, February 6, 2013, a port was put in by Dr. Allan Gordon, and also the chemotherapy began. On that morning, it took a long time for me to be admitted due to the hospital records and the fact that there were two Lula Jones with the exact same cancer, but we had different birthdays. The other Lula Joness records were sent during the preparation step as well. All of this was discovered by the nicest nurse named Pat, who was a very concerned and caring young lady. She was able to change the records and made everything flow better.

The mother of my husbands church Gladys Swayne was right beside me every step of the way. Every time I was admitted to the hospital, she and her husband showed up before I did. Mother Swayne cant be beat in my book! We came up the ranks together, and we were like Ruth and Naomi during the biblical times. Wherever I went to perform, she was there. Wherever I lodged, she was there too. We were workers in the church together locally, in the district church, and the jurisdictional church as well. She served as president of the usher board, and I served as president of the music department. We would work hard and pass each other. Out of all the things we were going through, we had each other and the Lord to lean on and turn to. She was even there the morning of both surgeries. As I undressed, she packed my belongings and put them in a safe place and kept me comfortable with her soothing words, Baby, relax youre going to be fine. Do good, and do it with a smile. My thoughts were, Yeah, but it is me in this situation about to get cut. I thought it, but I knew better not to say it aloud. Yes, I knew better than to say because it could have been a slap and the cut as well. So I used my good sense because Mrs. G did not play, and neither did Lady Mae J., so we both just ate crow a lot and kept on trucking.

Mrs. G knew some of everybody. She even knew the nurse who prepped me for surgery. I just felt safer with her in the room. My husband and youngest grandson, Renaldo, was there also. They are my number one caretakers. Each time that it seemed like the last step, Id say that its okay; I got Mrs. G with me. If I would have taken number one caretakers with me, it would have stressed me even more. For every colonoscopy, which I began to call the Roto-Rooter jobs, Mrs. G was right there ordering me around. Guess what? Because of her, I did every one of those procedures with a smile. After the port surgery, she was yet there, giving orders. I then went back downstairs to be admitted into the hospital to begin chemotherapy. Mrs. G didnt want me to go alone, but I knew I needed to get away to pray. She meant well but didnt really know what I had in mind. All she thought about was all the walking that I had to do to get there. This was the one time I didnt obey Mrs. G, and I walked back downstairs. In the name of Jesus, I prayed silently, Lord, if it is Your will, turn this test into a testimony. I knew how my husband was about prices and also knew it was me being admitted and not him. Those people had to wait on me, and at some point, I had to pass through their hands if it wasnt anything but my records. I didnt want to burn any bridges nor leave a bad taste in anyones mouth because words live, good or bad. I wanted to handle everything myself because my husband was under a lot of pressure, which makes us sometimes say the wrong words, and I wasnt taking any chances. Thanks to God, my co-pay was only $150, and I said to my husband, Go upstairs, and please bring my purse, because my coworkers had blessed me with a gift of love that was more than enough to pay the bill in cash. Just look at how Jesus is a waymaker. He will work out anything you need to be worked out if you trust Him. He will work in your favor. You need to try my God if yours is not working in your favor. I mean my capital G God comparing to the little g god, my God is awesome, and He reigns from heaven above. He is an on-time God! Yes, He is! He will work it out while we try to figure it out. Praise God! Business is taken care of downstairs, and I went praising God without a doubt, not worrying at all. I felt safe in His arms because I believed God was going to take care of me.