Carrie Ann Inaba said she had to undergo an emergency appendectomy last week.
The "Dancing With the Stars" judge, 55, talked about the "excruciatingly" painful experience Thursday in an Instagram video, saying that she realized it was a gift to even be able to experience pain.
"I realize after speaking with my doctor that it could have been much worse," she said.
"Appendicitis attacks happen suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. And when you are in that much pain, the last thing you want to do is go anywhere," said Inaba, who has been vocal about her struggles with several autoimmune conditions.
"When you have autoimmune disease, you are often having strange health occurrences that no one can explain or help you with so sometimes, you try to wait it out, like I did," she said. "I was wrong. I should have come straight to the hospital right when the pain in my abdomen started, after the sudden and violent vomiting that knocked me off my feet.
"I should have gone when I couldn't stand without excruciating pain … but I honestly didn't want to leave my babies, and I'm so accustomed to pain — thought I should let it play out."
Inaba urged her Instagram followers to seek medical attention if they have abdominal pain.
"It could be something very serious," she said.
In 2021, Inaba discussed her health struggles, saying on her online wellness platform, Carrie Ann Conversations, that at times she felt isolated when having to deal with them.
"Coping with autoimmune conditions can sometimes feel quite lonely," she said. "When I first got diagnosed, some encouraged me to keep my struggles to myself, but I've found that it's always been better to be honest about my needs and realities than to stay silent.
"I believe strongly in sharing my journey, my solutions, and the things that have helped me with anyone who could use it — this is how communities are formed."
© 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved.