'DWTS' Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Says She Was Diagnosed With Lupus After A Colonoscopy

On today's episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan , Carrie Ann Inaba, opened up about the struggles of living with lupus.

According to the Dancing With The Stars judge, she didn't even know she had the autoimmune disease until a recent colonoscopy.

"I was recently diagnosed with lupus, I was actually told, Inaba shared. Its so weird. I was diagnosed with autoimmune six years ago, but my doctor didnt tell me I had lupus. I was having a colonoscopy and I saw my chart [read] lupus and I was like, This is not my chart, and they were like, You have lupus.'

So my doctor had forgotten to tell me, Inaba explained.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, and a diagnosis can mean a lifelong battle. There is extended remission where, for all intents and purposes, we might think weve cured the disease in some individuals, but there is no cure, Jill Buyon , MD, previously told Women's Health. Symptoms of lupus can include facial rashes, joint pain, shortness of breath or chest pain, kidney problems, neurological issues, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, and anemia.

But Carrie Ann did make some lifestyle changes that made her symptoms more bearable. I quit Diet Coke, Inaba said. "I also stopped going in the sun because when you have lupus youre allergic to UV light, which I didnt know, so I was causing my own flare-ups.

Many time lupus is referred to as an invisible illness , meaning the pain and symptoms you experience from this disorder aren't readily visible to the world. But lupus isn't the only invisible illness Carrie Ann suffers from.

View this post on Instagram Happy Tuesday! Today we talked about #invisibleillness and how debilitating it can be. I shared my story and my current struggle with my invisible Illnesses. I have a few autoimmune syndromes and Im currently in a pretty bad flare.. The pain has been very challenging this time... for those of you who know - flares come in all different shapes and sizes. Ive been good at finding solutions that work for me and at managing the pain and difficulties of my previous flare ups but this one has been tougher than usual. And it has humbled me once again. Most Autoimmune syndromes come with friends. I have Sjgrens syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Rheumatoid Arthritis with markers for APL syndrome. And I share this so that others will not feel so alone with their own menu of conditions. You probably would not guess that behind that smile, Im in a lot of pain. But I know my fellow #warriors out there understand... and I will not give up trying to heal myself and find solutions. I will also not stop smiling because that is something I can do despite the pain. Its a never ending rollercoaster, this journey, but its mine and I have also learned beautiful things from it. I am so grateful I have an amazing support system of friends and family and the beautiful ladies of @thetalkcbs who touched my heart deeply with their love and support today. It makes the journey so much better. Feeling grateful. May we all keep lifting each other up by sharing our stories so that we can find healing and share it with each other. #autoimmunedisease #fibromyalgia #sjogrenssyndrome #rheumatoidarthritis #pain #invisibleillness #warriors #carrieannconversations #thetalk #gratitude #lifelessons #life #healthandwellness A post shared by Carrie Ann Inaba (@carrieanninaba) on Apr 30, 2019 at 3:03pm PDT

In May she opened up to the audience of The Talk, revealing her struggle with fibromyalgia and other autoimmune conditions.

"I feel so much shame when I go through these things, because I want to be what people see. And people see a healthy person, from the outside," Carrie Ann explained. "I look healthyand I am really healthy, all things consideredbut then I have these incredible sharp pains like today [the hairstylist] was doing my hair and he barely touched me but I thought he burnt me with a curling iron because my body is in a fibromyalgia flare.

Hang in there Carrie Ann! You're clearly a trooper.