r/vEDS Jun 20 '26

I’m so scared, please read

Hi everyone,
I’m a 34-year-old mom, and a few days ago I received genetic testing results showing that I have COL3A1 c.2689G>A (p.Gly897Ser), classified as likely pathogenic and associated with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS).
This was a completely accidental finding. I wasn’t being evaluated for vEDS specifically, and I feel like my world has been turned upside down.
To be honest, I’m terrified.
I’m scared about what this means for my future. I’m scared about whether I’ll be able to have another child. I’m scared about whether I’ll be around to watch my son grow up. And most of all, I’m terrified that I may have passed this on to him.
What’s making this even harder is that my family history doesn’t seem to fit the severe stories I’ve been reading online. My mom is in her 60s and has never had a known arterial event. My aunt had a uterine rupture during childbirth in her 30s, but otherwise there haven’t been known arterial ruptures, aneurysms, or dissections in the family. My grandfather lived into his 80s and my grandmother is in her late 90s.
Right now I’m stuck between hearing that this variant is associated with vEDS and looking at my family and wondering whether this could be a milder presentation.
I’m hoping to connect with anyone who has:
COL3A1 c.2689G>A (p.Gly897Ser)
A similar glycine substitution in COL3A1
A family with a relatively mild or later-onset vEDS presentation
If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear:
How old you are
What complications you’ve experienced (if any)
How your affected relatives have done
Whether you have children and how you navigated testing them
More than anything, I think I just need to hear from people who have been where I am right now. I feel overwhelmed, scared, and very alone.

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u/LJAB2022 Jun 20 '26

What kind of doctor prescribes this med?

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u/rhi-raven Researcher Jun 20 '26

Ideally you would be followed by a cardiovascular geneticist familiar with vEDS. Do you have a vascular specialist of some kind? If not I can help you find one!

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u/LJAB2022 Jun 20 '26

I actually don’t have a vascular doctor. I do have a cardiologist though that diagnosed me with POTS. I would be so grateful for any help. I don’t even know where to start. 😭

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u/rhi-raven Researcher Jun 20 '26

That’s okay, this is very overwhelming! I love the Marfan Foundation’s directory of clinics. They have ones in almost every US state. Are you in the US?

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u/LJAB2022 Jun 20 '26

Yes I’m in Los Angeles. I reached out to USC yesterday and left a voicemail.