When you read this, I will have rung in the New Year in Tampa, Florida, preparing to cheer on the University of Georgia Bulldogs in this year’s Outback Bowl.  In my 15 years at Georgia, this is how I have spent most New Year’s – which is a good thing actually, as it means that the football team did well enough to be bowl eligible.  A good football season is a good thing indeed.

Last year, I spent Christmas with my family in Pittsburgh and then raced to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl.  The weather was awful, the stadium was outdoors, and as the final seconds expired, Georgia did not win.

My husband Peter and I trudged through torrential rain to our dinner reservation, swam back to our hotel (ok, I exaggerate), and were asleep before midnight as we had an early flight back to Atlanta.  Little did we know what awaited us in 2011. 

Looking back, New Year’s Eve 2010 may have been a foreshadowing for me about the year to come.

About a decade ago, I read “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office,” by Lois Frankel.  Among the lessons I took from reading the book was to watch my use of the word “hope,” which Frankel suggests is a weak word in the business arena.  I don’t disagree with her entirely, but I’ve been challenged in my efforts to minimize use of the word.

2011 found my hope in overdrive.  There’s just no other word that so succinctly captures what we need on my sister Deana’s journey with multiple myeloma.

Hope that the treatments will be effective.

Hope that Deana will tolerate them as well as possible.

Hope that she’ll be able to return to her normal life and activities.

Hope that she’ll have a remission that lasts forever.

And HOPE that the brilliant researchers working on multiple myeloma will find a cure ... soon!

It is such a good word, understood by all, and without the religious implications that can be intimated through use of the word “faith,” although my family has a lot of that too!

We’ve made it through 2011 with Faith, Hope, and Love as our guides; “No One Fights Alone” as our mantra; and “Beat the H*ll Outta Multiple Myeloma” (BTHO MM) as our goal.  Based on the report from Deana’s oncologist visit on December 28, it is still a bit too soon to proclaim victory but we are headed in the right direction.

The next step is a bone marrow biopsy on January 18, followed by an oncologist visit on January 25.  I’ll join Deana in Pittsburgh for the latter, anxious to hear the news we’ve been hoping for and interested in learning about our possibilities for the future.  There’s still much to be decided; most importantly, the use of a maintenance drug.  (For the record, Deana says no more drugs.)

In other news, I am happy to report that the website CaringBridge has introduced a burgundy ribbon template.  As you may recall, when TEAM BTHO MM began the journey, we were distressed about not being able to theme our site with the official multiple myeloma color. I appreciate those at CaringBridge who responded to my concerns and worked to make this available for its users.  We may be a small population of cancer patients and families but we are mighty!

My very best to you and yours for a Happy and Healthy New Year. It may be a little too hopeful, but I would be thrilled to see 2012 be the year a cure was found.  Either way, I’ll continue all my work in support of this desire.