Bethenny Frankel diagnosed with stage two chronic kidney disease
Bethenny Frankel has shared her stage two chronic kidney disease with fans.
Bethenny Frankel has been diagnosed with stage two chronic kidney disease.
The Real Housewives of New York alum - who was struck down with skin inflammation while on holiday in Saint Barthelemy over New Year's - shared that her kidneys have mild damage and are not working as well as normal in a candid video shared to social media on Thursday (22.01.26).
Bethenny, 55, said: "So I have a medical announcement, not because I want you to worry, because I want you to take precautions in your own life, be mindful.
"Months ago, I decided that I was going to be very proactive about blood tests, bone density, all the things I had heard people talking about, and I started to take a series of blood tests. And each time, my kidney function was coming up low."
The reality TV star admitted she "didn't want to go" to her "doctor's appointment with a kidney specialist" on Thursday, but her team encouraged her to attend.
Bethenny then got told she has "stage two chronic kidney disease".
She added: "And he said it could be a function of this traumatic experience I had years ago, and I almost died from an allergy attack. It could have done damage to the kidney.
"'It could be autoimmune. It's connected to urinary, which I do get UTI, not as much anymore."
The founder-and-CEO of lifestyle brand, Skinnygirl, admitted that she does not drink a lot of water - but has to now drink "a litre and a half a day" because it's her "medicine".
The doctor also told Bethenny that she can "put her hydration packets" in the water, but added that she "can't have ibuprofen or Aleve or Advil", but she can have Tylenol.
Bethenny added that she "can't have turmeric and one other thing" as she tucked into a scoop of ice cream, which the doctor said she can have.
The media personality then told her fans she has low blood pressure and has problems with POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).
POTS is "a condition that causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue", according to Cleveland Clinic.
Bethenny said: "Then you're going to keep getting it tested. I've a very low blood pressure. My blood pressure today was, I think, 8/60. That's always been the case.
"I have had issues with POTS after the vaccine. Some of us discussed that. I have severe dehydration. So I'm trying to tell him everything so we can sort of try to be ahead of it and maybe get my levels back up. Maybe this is something I have to deal with forever."
The mom-of-one - daughter Bryn, 15, whom she has with her 55-year-old ex-husband, TV personality Jason Hoppy - then urged her supporters to "go get all your blood work done".
Bethenny added: "All of it, be thorough ,and then do the follow-ups for anything that seems like an outlier, and frankly, get your blood work done, maybe six months, and then six months later, because different stuff could come up, and sometimes it's an aberration, and sometimes it means something.
"In this case, it was a pattern, and I don't know exactly what it means. Many of you will, which is also why I'm sharing with you, because you guys are part-time doctors, and I love you guys, and I don't know. Bye."
