Round 8, Day 9

All systems go for an IUI on Monday morning. (A bout of the flu this week appears not to have interfered at all.) My ultrasound this morning revealed the usual gaggle of follicles that just need a little more prompting. The largest on the left was 16mm, and the largest on the right was 20mm, but judging by my estrogen levels the 20mm is actually that little cyst Wendy saw last week. So we'll give the 16mm a few days to grow (and another dose of Follistim to grow on), and some of the other medium-sized ones on both ovaries will probably catch up. Please pray for Monday morning to go smoothly; the whole IUI process has tended to stress us out. (Of course, that may have something to do with the fact that our past 2 IUIs were done on already crazy days.)

This prayer encouraged me this morning, especially the second half:

O my Saviour,
I thank thee from the depths of my being
for thy wondrous grace and love
in bearing my sin in thine own body on the tree.
May thy cross be to me
as the tree that sweetens my bitter Marahs,
as the rod that blossoms with life and beauty,
as the brazen serpent that calls forth the look of faith.
By thy cross crucify my every sin;
Use it to increase my intimacy with thyself;
Make it the ground of all my comfort,
the liveliness of all my duties,
the sum of all thy gospel promises,
the comfort of all my afflictions,
the vigour of my love, thankfulness, graces,
the very essence of my religion;
And by it give me that rest without rest,
the rest of ceaseless praise.

O my Lord and Saviour,
Thou hast also appointed a cross for me to take up and carry,
a cross before thou givest me a crown.
Thou hast appointed it to be my portion,
but self-love hates it,
carnal reason is unreconciled to it;
without the grace of patience I cannot bear it,
walk with it, profit by it.
O blessed cross, what merices dost thou bring with thee!
Thou art only esteemed hateful by my rebel will,
heavy because I shirk thy load.
Teach me, gracious Lord and Saviour,
that with my cross thou sendest promised grace
so that I may bear it patiently,
that my cross is thy yoke which is easy,
and thy burden which is light.

-"The Grace of the Cross" from The Valley of Vision, p. 172