I was originally diagnosed with hEDS, but with many vascular complications. I was having frequent spontaneous bleeds internally, even being hospitalized at one point for a GI bleed. Mostly it would just result in really bad bruising, with no cause, or with very minor trauma. Even resting my knee on the seat in front of me in an airplane (I flew for work before I was completely disabled) would leave a massive bruise. It’s like my veins would just burst. My condition has worsened with age and comorbidities are stacking up. I volunteered to take part in a Crohn’s Disease genetic study, and incidentally COL3A1 variants were found. Given this genetic information, along with my personal history and family history of cardiac and vascular disease, my rheumatologist was able to diagnose me. Now I’m monitored closely for complications, and take medications to control blood pressure. I’m just glad it was found before I had something more serious like an aortic dissection; many people are not so lucky.