MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast
MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast is a supportive, medically informed, and deeply human show dedicated to helping families navigate life after a mesothelioma diagnosis. Hosted by patient advocate, Dave Foster, the podcast brings together the voices of doctors, survivors, caregivers, and leading experts to deliver clarity, guidance, and hope when it’s needed most.
Sponsored by Danziger & De Llano, one of the nation’s most experienced mesothelioma law firms, the show offers more than legal insight—it provides practical direction, emotional support, and a roadmap for getting the best medical care as quickly as possible. Whether you or a loved one has just been diagnosed or you're searching for trusted information, MESO breaks down the medical, legal, and personal impact of this rare disease in a way that’s easy to understand and compassionate at every step.
Every episode delivers meaningful conversations, survivor stories, expert interviews, and actionable next steps so families can make informed decisions with confidence.
If you need answers, support, or guidance—you’re in the right place.
For more information, visit Danziger & De Llano at Dandell.com.
MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast
A Patient’s Journey Through ICU, Recovery, And The Power Of Honest Doctors
Katherine Keys Part 4: Episode Description
MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast
Mesothelioma patients who undergo lung-sparing surgery face an average hospital stay of 3-4 weeks—and the recovery journey requires both exceptional medical care and fierce self-advocacy.
In Part 4 of her survivor story on MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast, host Dave Foster—Executive Director of patient advocacy at Danziger & De Llano with 18 years of experience helping mesothelioma families—continues his conversation with Katherine Keys, a Stage 1 pleural mesothelioma survivor now 17+ years past her diagnosis. Katherine shares the raw reality of post-surgical recovery at MD Anderson Cancer Center, including two weeks in ICU, learning to walk again with only one functioning lung, and the moment her elderly mother climbed the front steps to welcome her home.
Together, they cover:
• The trust Katherine placed in her surgeon Dr. David Rice at MD Anderson Cancer Center—and why his no-sugarcoating communication style set expectations that held up through the hardest moments
• Two weeks in the ICU and the fatigue that comes with intensive monitoring—plus a troubling incident with an aide that led Katherine to advocate for her own safety (and how hospital leadership responded within hours)
• What graded mobility actually looks like after major thoracic surgery: using the IV pole as a walking partner, resting without quitting, and celebrating two laps around the nursing station as the discharge milestone
• The 3.5-hour drive home in 93-degree August heat with oxygen tanks, a walker, and the logistics no one prepares you for—from highway rest stops to hotel lobbies
• The gut-punch moment when Katherine's mother—newly discharged from her own hospitalization—arrived on a cane to welcome her daughter home, a reminder that healing is communal, not just clinical
Whether you're facing thoracic surgery for mesothelioma or supporting someone through recovery, this episode reveals what really happens between the operating room and returning home—and how honest communication, patient self-advocacy, and family support braid together to pull someone through.
Resources:
• Mesothelioma Diagnosis & Treatment: https://dandell.com/mesothelioma-diagnosis/
• Dave Foster, Executive Director of Patient Advocacy: https://dandell.com/david-foster/
• Understanding Mesothelioma: https://dandell.com/mesothelioma/
• Free Consultation: https://dandell.com/contact-us/
MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast is sponsored by Danziger & De Llano, a nationwide mesothelioma law firm with over 30 years of experience and nearly $2 billion recovered for asbestos victims. For a free consultation, visit Dandell.com.
MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast
Episode Transcript: Recovery After Mesothelioma Surgery
Guest: Katherine Keys, Stage 1 Pleural Mesothelioma Survivor (17+ Years)
Host: Dave Foster, Executive Director of Patient Advocacy, Danziger & De Llano
Co-Host: Anna Jackson, Director of Patient Support, Danziger & De Llano
Key Takeaways
This episode covers Katherine Keys' recovery journey after pleural mesothelioma surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Here are the essential insights for patients and families:
- Hospital stays after major thoracic surgery typically last 3-4 weeks—Katherine spent approximately two weeks in the ICU and another two weeks in a regular room before discharge.
- Trust your surgeon's communication style—Dr. David Rice's straightforward, no-sugarcoating approach helped Katherine know exactly what to expect, reducing fear during the hardest moments of recovery.
- Self-advocacy in the hospital is critical—When Katherine experienced a troubling interaction with an aide, she reported it to hospital administration, and MD Anderson leadership addressed the issue immediately.
- Walking after lung surgery is harder than most patients expect—Katherine describes her legs feeling "like bricks" after two weeks of bed rest, but graded mobility starting with quarter-laps around the nursing station eventually led to discharge.
- Discharge milestones are specific and achievable—Katherine's goal was two complete laps around the nursing station. Meeting that milestone cleared her to go home.
- Post-discharge logistics require planning—The drive home required oxygen tanks, a walker, multiple rest stops at hotels (for accessible restrooms), and family coordination.
- Healing is communal—Katherine's mother, recently discharged from her own hospitalization, traveled to Katherine's home on a cane to welcome her daughter back. This moment encapsulates how family support sustains survivors through recovery.
For more information about mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment, visit https://dandell.com/mesothelioma-diagnosis/.
Transcript
Why Trust Matters: Finding the Right Mesothelioma Surgeon
DAVE FOSTER: For you to have landed in David Rice's office at MD Anderson Cancer Center—I mean, I've met him numerous times. What an amazing man on every level.
KATHERINE KEYS: I mean, he truly is. Did you know that he is gorgeous?
DAVE FOSTER: [Laughs] Well, I mean, that's not me we're talking about, but I'm telling you—somebody that knows him said he's the best-looking man she's ever seen. He's like six foot two or six foot three, handsome, bright, artistic, intelligent.
If he ever sees this podcast, he's probably gonna come and hug me. But yeah, he's a wonderful surgeon.
KATHERINE KEYS: I mean, it's just so many things. Human beings.
DAVE FOSTER: I have other stories about what a family man he is. He was supposed to speak at the International Mesothelioma Symposium in South Africa, but his mom got sick, and instead he went to his mother's bedside.
But the other thing about him—and this is my last comment—is what a calming personality he has. He's the kind of person that tells you, "This is what I'm gonna do," and you believe him. He's not trying to BS you. He's not telling stories. He's telling you what he can do, what he can't do, and what to expect. So Catherine, I'm gonna shut up about Dr. Rice. Go ahead.
KATHERINE KEYS: Well, you know, he's just like you say—he doesn't sugarcoat it. He tells you exactly like it is. And he not only tells you, but he goes in and shows you exactly what he's gonna do, how he's gonna do it.
I mean, there's probably not enough words that could express how professional he is. I'll even go back to a Bible verse talking about David—how he was a comely man, prudent in matters, you know what I'm saying? He handled his business and he was good looking.
So on that note, going through meeting him and him taking me through the steps of what I was gonna have to go through—it was confirmation for me as a spiritual person. The difference between him and this other doctor was just night and day in terms of bedside manner. There's nothing I could say bad about him.
For information about finding specialized mesothelioma treatment centers, visit https://dandell.com/mesothelioma/.
Two Weeks in the ICU: Fatigue, Monitoring, and Self-Advocacy
DAVE FOSTER: Okay, so you were still in ICU. The beds aren't comfortable, only a few people could come see you—and then what happened?
KATHERINE KEYS: Oh man, you guys, I got so sick and tired of ICU.
DAVE FOSTER: How long were you there?
KATHERINE KEYS: Oh gosh, I must have been there two weeks or more.
DAVE FOSTER: Wow.
KATHERINE KEYS: And then I had this difficult experience. They had these chairs that roll up and turn into a bed, right? This one guy—I don't know what his role was, but he was supposed to be an aide to help me in ICU. He gave me a really bad experience. He would wait till people left and say things like, "Just wait till everybody leaves."
I was like, "Wait till everybody leave? What does that mean?"
DAVE FOSTER: Wow. At MD Anderson?
KATHERINE KEYS: Yeah. But I had made friends with a lady in the administration office—she would come see me every day—and I just let her know about the guy because he was giving MD Anderson a bad name. They jumped right on it. They took care of him.
But anyway, I was in ICU, ready to get out. Every time they would come in, I was like, "Man, when am I gonna get out of ICU? I'm sick of ICU."
So finally, the day came. They took me out of ICU and put me in my own private room. And guess what happened? I started begging them, "Can I go back to ICU?"
DAVE FOSTER: Because you felt so bad?
KATHERINE KEYS: Because when you're in ICU, they're monitoring you every second. When you come out, the nurses have other patients. You don't have that constant attention anymore.
Patient advocacy is a core value at Danziger & De Llano. Learn about our patient support team at https://dandell.com/david-foster/.
Walking with One Lung: The Reality of Post-Surgical Mobility
KATHERINE KEYS: So when I came out of ICU, the nurse kept telling me I needed to get up out of the bed and walk. I was like, okay.
After being in ICU and being in bed for so long, when I swung my legs over the side of the bed, it felt like I had bricks on my feet. All of my muscles were just like, "We're not doing what you want us to do."
I looked at my legs and said, "Okay, y'all, let's walk."
My legs said, "Walk where? Where we going? You want us to do what?"
But anyway, I worked my way up to walking. They had me walking around the nursing station. First, they just took me like a fourth of the way the first day. Then the second day, a little further. And so on.
Finally, I worked my way to walking all the way around the nursing station. But by the time I got back to my bed, I was completely out of breath.
One lung—y'all want me to walk? Y'all want me to walk where?
So anyway, I had my little IV pole that I would hold on to, and I walked slowly. They told me, "Just take your time."
The Discharge Milestone: Two Laps Around the Nursing Station
ANNA JACKSON: From the time of surgery to the time you got to go home, how long was that? You were in ICU for two weeks, right? And how long were you in your room?
KATHERINE KEYS: Probably like a week and a half, maybe two weeks.
ANNA JACKSON: So somewhere around four weeks you were in the hospital?
KATHERINE KEYS: Yes. I was probably in MD Anderson Hospital for at least a month. Because I know that when I got to go home, it was August.
Every day Dr. Rice came in and did my exam. He'd say, "You'll be going home soon."
Every day he came to my room, I said, "Am I going home today?"
Dr. Rice was like, "No, not today. You gotta wait to get a little stronger."
Every day I would ask him, "When can I go home?" I know he probably got sick of me.
ANNA JACKSON: I'm pretty sure everyone was asking that question. Nobody likes to sit in the hospital for that long.
KATHERINE KEYS: Absolutely. So they told me that if I could walk around the nurse's station two times, then they'd release me. They'd let me go home.
Boy, you talking about somebody trying to walk around that station—I was going! I was like Speedy Gonzales. Actually, I was more like the tortoise in the tortoise and the hare. But I made it around there twice.
They kept me a few more days and then let me go home.
Understanding your mesothelioma diagnosis is the first step toward treatment. Visit https://dandell.com/mesothelioma-diagnosis/.
Going Home: Oxygen Tanks, Highway Stops, and 93-Degree Heat
KATHERINE KEYS: My church members, my pastor—they wanted to pay for me to fly home. But my husband didn't want to do that, so he came and picked up all my stuff, and we drove home.
It was August. It was like 93 degrees outside.
When I got released, I had an oxygen machine, I had a walker, all this stuff. I had to be hooked up on the oxygen tank all the way home, and it's like a three-and-a-half, four-hour drive.
When you're trying to stop and you've got an oxygen tank and a walker—where can you stop to use the restroom on the highway?
So what we did was stop at hotels. You know, they have the little awning thing where you can drive in. My husband could help me get in, and I could use the accessible restrooms.
A Mother's Love: The Best Thing About Coming Home
KATHERINE KEYS: But the best thing ever—I'll say it again—even though I was glad to go home, was when I finally got home.
My mom was in the hospital the same time I was having surgery. She had gotten out about a week before I did.
When I got home, they told my mom I was there. And boy, I miss her so much. But she got on her cane, she made my dad drive her to my house.
I was sitting in a chair, and I could see her walking up the stairs to the house, walking up the steps. She was trying her best to just come see me.
That was the best thing ever.
DAVE FOSTER: That's beautiful.
KATHERINE KEYS: So on that note, I would just say—take care of people and cherish people when they're here. Because everybody's not as fortunate as I am.
DAVE FOSTER: No, most people are not as fortunate as you are. You're one in a million. You're a blessing to our lives. An inspiration. We talk about you all the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the hospital stay after mesothelioma surgery?
Hospital stays after major thoracic surgery for mesothelioma typically range from 3-4 weeks. Katherine Keys spent approximately two weeks in the ICU at MD Anderson Cancer Center followed by another two weeks in a regular hospital room before being discharged. The length of stay depends on the type of surgery (such as pleurectomy/decortication or extrapleural pneumonectomy), the patient's overall health, and their ability to meet mobility milestones like walking around the nursing station.
What is recovery like after pleural mesothelioma surgery?
Recovery after pleural mesothelioma surgery involves gradual mobility restoration under close medical supervision. Patients typically begin with short walks using an IV pole for support, progressing from quarter-laps to full laps around the nursing station. Many patients describe feeling like their legs are "bricks" after extended bed rest in the ICU. Breathing is challenging with reduced lung capacity, and patients often require supplemental oxygen during the early weeks of recovery.
What should mesothelioma patients expect in the ICU?
Patients can expect constant monitoring in the ICU following mesothelioma surgery, which provides security but can also cause fatigue. Katherine Keys noted that the transition from ICU to a regular hospital room was difficult because nursing attention decreased. Patients should feel empowered to advocate for themselves—if something doesn't feel right, reporting concerns to hospital administration is appropriate and typically results in swift action.
How do mesothelioma patients get home after surgery?
Discharge planning after mesothelioma surgery requires coordination. Patients may need supplemental oxygen equipment, mobility aids like walkers, and accessible transportation. For patients traveling significant distances, planning rest stops at hotels with accessible facilities is often easier than using highway rest stops. Some patients fly home with medical clearance, while others prefer ground transportation.
Why is honest communication with your surgeon important?
Surgeons who communicate directly and honestly—without sugarcoating outcomes or expectations—help patients feel prepared for the realities of recovery. Katherine Keys credits Dr. David Rice's straightforward communication style with helping her trust the process during her most difficult moments. Knowing exactly what to expect reduces fear and anxiety during a challenging recovery.
Danziger & De Llano has helped over 1,000 mesothelioma families nationwide. For a free consultation, visit https://dandell.com/contact-us/.
About the Guest
Katherine Keys was diagnosed with Stage 1 pleural mesothelioma in 2007 at age 49 when the cancer was discovered accidentally during an unrelated scan. She underwent surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas under the care of Dr. David Rice. Now 17+ years past her diagnosis, Katherine volunteers her time helping other mesothelioma patients navigate the medical system. Her story is featured in "Beating the Odds: Surviving Mesothelioma," compiled by Dave Foster and available free to any family facing a mesothelioma diagnosis.
About the Host
Dave Foster serves as Executive Director of Patient Advocacy at Danziger & De Llano, bringing 18+ years of experience helping mesothelioma families navigate diagnosis, treatment, and legal options. Dave lost his own father to asbestos lung cancer in 1999, which drives his personal commitment to supporting families facing similar battles. He hosts MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast and compiled "Beating the Odds: Surviving Mesothelioma," featuring stories of long-term survivors.
Learn more at https://dandell.com/david-foster/.
Episode Resources
- Mesothelioma Overview: https://dandell.com/mesothelioma/
- Diagnosis & Treatment: https://dandell.com/mesothelioma-diagnosis/
- Dave Foster Profile: https://dandell.com/david-foster/
- Anna Jackson Profile: https://dandell.com/anna-jackson/
- Mesothelioma Compensation: https://dandell.com/mesothelioma-compensation/
- Free Consultation: https://dandell.com/contact-us/
Disclaimer
MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast is sponsored by Danziger & De Llano, a nationwide mesothelioma law firm with over 30 years of experience and nearly $2 billion recovered for asbestos victims. This podcast provides information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For a free case evaluation, visit https://dandell.com/.
