Brooke Shields’ daughter Rowan recently opened up about the terrifying complications she faced in 2018 due to undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.
Rowan, now 21 and a college student, said she was just a freshman when her health took a frightening turn. She recalled dealing with what she described as “screaming red flags” of the lifelong autoimmune disease.
“First of all, I lost a lot of weight very quickly,” Rowan said People during an emotional interview with her famous mother and younger sister Grier, 18, on Friday. ‘But I ate two meals [for] every meal. I ate so much and I lost weight faster the more I ate.’
“Another thing, you’re peeing all the time,” she added. “And then my vision started going bad and then I got a really bad toe infection.
“These are clear signs of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.”
Brooke Shields’ daughter Rowan recently opened up about the terrifying complications she faced in 2018 from undiagnosed type 1 diabetes; (photo 2022)
“First of all, I lost a lot of weight really quickly,” Rowan told People during an emotional interview with her famous mother and younger sister Grier, 18, on Friday; (pictured with Brooke in 2022)
Rowan was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes later that year and has been struggling with his life ever since.
She shares her experiences on Instagram and regularly posts photos showing her Dexcom patch, in order to create more visibility and understanding for the condition.
“It was an adjustment,” Brooke told the newspaper.
Brooke shared how “helpless” she felt at first, but she admired Rowan’s rapid maturity and competence as she gained control of her diabetes at age 14, self-administered her insulin shots and matured rapidly along the way.
“There were times when I wished I had been diagnosed when I was five, because then I would have known what life would be like without it,” Rowan said. “But even in the four years I’ve had it, there have been so many advances in technology.”
Rowan explained that she is responsible for monitoring her diabetes 24/7. She has a pump and a Dexcom patch on her stomach that continuously monitors her glucose levels.
Although it is always on her mind, she only focuses on it when her blood sugar is off. For her, it is about dealing with the challenges and finding ways to manage the condition as part of her daily life.
“It’s a 24/7 job and I’m never free,” she said.
“Another thing is you’re constantly peeing,” she added. “And then my vision started going and then I got a really bad toe infection,” (Photo: May)
She shares her journey on Instagram and regularly posts photos of her Dexcom patch, hoping to create more visibility and understanding for the condition.
Brooke shared how “helpless” she initially felt, but admired Rowan’s rapid maturity and competence as she gained control of her diabetes at age 14, independently managed her insulin injections, and grew up quickly in the process; (Rowan, Brooke, and Grier in 2022)
“No matter what headache you have, you find a way around it. It’s something I have and I have to learn to deal with now.”
Brooke said it took a while for Rowan to feel comfortable.
“She also didn’t want to wear the monitor for a while, and then she started having tingling fingers all day long, which started to irritate her,” she explains.
So having the monitor and having it on your phone [to monitor the levels]I can now look it up on my phone and don’t have to bother her with it anymore.’
