I am a bit older than Henry Marsh, but as a retired consultant anaesthetist with a new significant medical problem, I found that I could relate to his struggle to admit he needed medical help himself (How brain surgeon Henry Marsh went from doctor to patient, 13 August).
I understood why he called himself a coward for not facing up to a problem that he finally admitted he had known about for years. It is so much more difficult to seek help when you are used to being the one in charge, and when you have taken so much trouble to look after your health. Suddenly, your body, which you trusted, has let you down; it seems so unfair.
