DR. MAX PEMBERTON: This is how Kate can get back on her feet after surgery

After being admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery, the Princess of Wales faces a long recovery period at home. We often think about how important the care we receive in the hospital is, but it's when we get home that the recovery really begins.

Anyone who has undergone surgery knows that leaving the hospital and returning to the real world can be a shock to the system. Suddenly there are no more doctors present, no nurses to look at the wounds or guide you to the bathroom.

There is also the pressure we put on ourselves. It can be lazy to lie down all day, even though you are still recovering. Maybe you should tackle that pile of paperwork in the corner? A few chores can't hurt, right?

Of course, Kate is our future queen, so of course she has a level of help at home that the rest of us don't.

For example, she may not be concerned about hanging out the laundry, but I suspect she will feel the desire—just as you or I would—to get back on her feet and zooming around at full speed.

Very few of us are lucky enough to avoid a hospital stay in our lifetime, so being prepared for what happens next is crucial.

Once home, you're surrounded by the minutiae of everyday life, with the to-do list lurking in the back of your mind. For parents, there are children who nag you to play when you still feel so tired.

Even if Kate avoids the more physically demanding aspects of her role – she has no more official commitments until Easter – there is still the mental strain to consider and the toll her recovery can take.

Entertaining people and being emotionally present and knowledgeable requires an energy level she doesn't think she can achieve in the coming weeks. After all, she's human, just like the rest of us. So my advice for Kate is the same as what I would give you if you are recovering – or helping a loved one after a planned hospital stay.

1. Be prepared. I'm sure Kate can call upon the services of a palace chef, but the rest of us will benefit from stocking the pantry and stocking the refrigerator before a planned hospital stay.

Prepare and freeze meals in advance and pick up some microwaveable meals. After surgery, patients often find eating large meals difficult, so make sure you get plenty of healthy smaller snacks.

When I was discharged from my recent hernia surgery, I could barely make a toast, let alone a hearty lunch.

Make sure you ask for – or offer – help.

2. Take notes. People may feel dizzy for a few days after surgery due to the anesthesia or painkillers, making it easy to forget what the doctor told you before you are discharged from the hospital. Take a notebook with you when admitted and write down any advice. Make sure you have a number to call if complications arise.

3. Be patient. If you are recovering from major or invasive surgery, you can ask your employer to consider a so-called phased return so that you can return to work at your leisure. Don't force yourself. Accept that your body will take weeks and sometimes months to fully heal.

4. Walk every day, even if it's a short distance. This strengthens your muscles and reduces the risk of blood clots in the legs.

5. Sit up straight. Bed rest causes a loss of one percent muscle mass per day in young people and up to five percent per day in the elderly. It's most commonly seen in the 'anti-gravity' muscles – those used to sit up, stand up and pull up – so sitting up in a chair is better than lying in bed.

6. Clean up the mess and buy some torches. Tripping over things can cause real complications with the surgery and healing. Make sure there is nothing on the floor, including magazines or plastic bags that are particularly easy to put on. Put your slippers under your bed, not next to it at night. Painkillers can make you feel dizzy, which can also increase your risk of falling. You may not have had one since you were a toddler, but torches make trips to the bathroom a lot safer.

7. Move bedroom. If your bed is upstairs and you need to be alone for some time, it is best to sleep downstairs until you feel confident enough to climb the stairs.

8. Stock up on books and boxests, This helps avoid the temptation to check emails or get started on ironing.

9. Eat a bag of oranges. I used to work for a surgeon who insisted on telling every patient he discharged after surgery to eat as many oranges as possible every day. Vitamin C is not stored in the body, but is vital for wound healing.

10. Stay warm. The body has difficulty regulating temperature after surgery. Therefore, make sure you have a small heater, blankets and slippers at hand.

11. Quit smoking. Recovery times and wound healing are dramatically affected in people who smoke. Quitting will not only benefit your overall health but also help your wounds heal.

Research shows that half of young people who use disposable vapes have never smoked. I wouldn't recommend non-smokers start vaping, but the overall risks are low.

I fear more that unfounded hysteria will curb what is an effective way for many to quit smoking.

Time to register the snowflakes

I smiled wryly when I read comments from General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the British Army, warning that, because of dwindling British troops, young Britons could be drafted to fight in a war against Russia.

We have managed to create a generation that seems to be afraid of its own shadow. They need warnings about Jane Austen novels, for God's sake, so how on earth would they fare on the battlefield?

I see so many worthless, self-indulgent, directionless young people who lack discipline and have never developed any resilience or grit. National Service would undoubtedly be the perfect counterbalance to the harmful, self-obsessed and spoiled environment in which they grew up.

So few young people now have the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves. By trying to make life as pleasant and easy as possible for the next generations, we are causing untold damage.

As in other countries, we could offer either a stint in the military or the option of volunteering. National Service would give them the dose of life skills they so desperately need.

The recent measles scare has led to a sharp increase in the number of children receiving a catch-up jab as the number of cases continues to rise. I hope this trend continues. Vaccination is perhaps the most effective medical intervention. The World Health Organization estimates that it saved ten million deaths from 2010 to 2015 alone.

Yet vaccination rates have fallen so low that outbreaks are now occurring. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination in Britain is at a record low and strangely it is the middle class who are turning away from it the most, even though we know it can save countless lives.

DR MAX PRESCRIBES…

NHS Talk Therapy

A new NHS mental health campaign is encouraging people struggling with low mood, excessive worry, social anxiety, stress or obsessions and compulsions to seek help through NHS Talking Therapies services – as early as possible. We know that early help means problems can be nipped in the bud and prevented from developing into mental illness. The reason for this is that a new survey shows that more than half of respondents were concerned about their mental health in the past year, with one in five having serious concerns.

• You can refer yourself to NHS.uk/talk