Bret Michaels Recalls Going Into 'Insulin Shock' During First Madison Square Garden Show (Exclusive)

• Bret Michaels has struggled with health problems for years
• “I went into complete insulin shock on stage,” he recalls of one incident
• Rocker was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 6

Bret Michaels reflects on a scary medical incident.

In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE ahead of A&E’s new biopic series looking at the life and career of the rock star, Michaels, 61, talks about the time he went into “insulin shock” while he and Poison were performing at Madison Square Garden for the first time.

“I went into complete insulin shock on stage,” he recalls. “I didn’t feel great. I was nervous. I hadn’t eaten in two days before that.”

Stating that he was also “so excited” to play the stadium in New York considering he grew up on the East Coast, Michaels continues, “I went out there and passed out. I don’t remember any of it.”

He adds: “I remember going on stage and then it was a blur and then I woke up and I was in the hospital.”

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Bret Michaels.

A&E Television Networks, LLC; Devin Yalkin

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Michaels was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 6. He was in and out of the hospital often as a child and had to receive insulin injections multiple times a day.

After the MSG incident, Michaels came out with his diagnosis to clear the air, as many speculated at the time that he was addicted to drugs.

In the years that followed, Michaels continued to face health problems, including in 1994, when he crashed his Ferrari into a telephone pole while racing with friends, breaking his nose and several ribs.

Then, when the rocker was leaving the stage after his performance at the 2009 Tony Awards, he was hit in the head by part of the descending set. In 2012, Michaels sued and settled with CBS for an undisclosed amount.

A year after the posted incident, during the competition at celebrity intern, Michaels had an emergency appendectomy, a near-fatal brain bleed, and a stroke. (It’s not clear what caused these health problems, but diabetes can increase the risk of bleeding and stroke.)

Bret Michaels.

A&E Television Networks, LLC; Devin Yalkin

Michaels tells PEOPLE that he has been in peak health and doing great on his Parti-Gras 2.0 tour.

“I wake up and the first thing I do is check my continuous glucose meter,” he says. “I check my blood sugar and then adjust it.”

“I take the shot and then the next thing I do is get up and – good, bad or indifferent, regardless of how I’m feeling – get into an exercise routine, and that helps lower my blood sugar,” the father of two continues.

“And then I jump into the fun and the work of the day, and I just try to take each day like that,” adds Michaels.

Bret Michaels.

A&E Television Networks, LLC; Devin Yalkin

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Michaels’ health, which is a big focus of the upcoming emergency special, was important for the rock star to include, he tells PEOPLE.

“My life is a real series of roses and absolute thorns,” he says. “It’s my daily life, and as a type 1 diabetic, I’ve always had the attitude that I’m not going to be a victim. This is the card I’ve been dealt.”

Michaels says he wants viewers to “understand the struggles” of his life while watching the special. “Facing these adversities, along with the triumphs, is a real life journey for me,” he explains. “In other words, everyone has their own troubles to deal with.”

“And I always say when I throw horns, it means stand strong, rock on and stay unbroken,” adds Michaels. “Just go out and rock the world as best you can.”

Biography: Bret Michaels premieres on A&E June 16 at 9:00 PM EST. It will be available to stream the next day.

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Source: HIS Education