Mirrors are one of the best tools in medicine

You are worth it and you deserve a pain-free life.

Dr. Rubin recently asked a patient to write a letter to her former self, the one who needs to hear her own story of hope, and this is what stood out to me:

Our medical system might make you feel broken, and you may have to explain your story over and over again to your team of doctors, nurses, and medical providers. Things might feel bleak, but please continue to tell your story because with the right provider it will land and you will get connected to the people who will help. 

Patients frequently come to our office describing pain with sex, internal muscle-pain and/or pain at the vaginal opening. We have ways to treat these very real pain conditions, and you have options. All of our doctors will meet you with open arms--we believe your pain exists and we believe you can get better.

We talk a lot about education in our office… how we can educate other doctors about how to identify and treat these issues and how we can educate our patients to empower them and give them hope. A mirror will help you understand your own anatomy - how it looks today and how it changes over time. This gives you so much knowledge and power over your own body. 

A mirror can change everything. 

In our medical office we offer you a mirror to look with us during your pelvic exam

One of our most important educational tools is a mirror (you can watch our YouTube mirror rant here). In that video, Dr. Rubin discusses why a mirror is especially important for menopause, but the truth is, it’s useful for everyone. For those of you with pelvic pain or vulvodynia, I urge you to use a mirror to better understand exactly where your body hurts, and to then show your doctors where you are feeling that pain. 

Sometimes we describe vestibular irritation as looking like a “sunburn”, does your vestibule look like that? By grabbing a mirror and taking a peek “down there” you can see your vulvar vestibule (and learn where that is! hint: look right where you vagina opening is).  

How about your labia minora? Take inventory of what they look like.

Do you notice any patches of skin that look different than anywhere else? 

What about your clitoris? Can you pull back the clitoral hood to see the full clitoral glans? 

A mirror can change everything, and is not only one of our best education tools, but it can help you advocate for yourself to your medical team. The right team will take your pain seriously so keep searching for doctors who listen and are committed to helping your pain. Nobody has all of the answers, but the right team will ask the questions to get you to where you need to be.

That’s all for now, there is hope, and you are not broken.

-Grace Hauer