Bethenny Frankel is opening up about an alleged misdiagnosis she said she received for something “major.”
“So I joined a medical community and it has teams of doctors that sort of cross reference your markers, your labs, longevity,” the former Real Housewife, 55, said in a Monday, August 3, Instagram video, adding that the health initiative was comparable to the Mayo Clinic — but conveniently accessible via her home.
“It’s not just some vanity BS concierge doctor,” she explained. “It’s very legitimate.”
Frankel went on to add that the non-traditional medical care she received revealed she was “misdiagnosed with something pretty major.” While the former reality star didn’t divulge any additional details about her alleged condition, or lack thereof, she advised her followers to always obtain a second, third and even fourth opinion when seeking medical advice.
“Be very thorough in your labs, your check ups, your second, third opinions, your crowd sourcing of opinions,” she said.
Frankel also added that you should not “believe everything you hear on the internet.”
“Everybody is saying that they have everything. I’m very confused because I was operating with an idea that I do have this and I don’t want to throw anybody under the bus. I tried to do the right thing and it’s very confusing,” she said. “I just think there’s nothing we should be more thorough about than our medical care, our health and just think about it.”
Frankel shared that it is important to keep a record of your symptoms and any previous diagnoses or inklings.
“Get a notebook out and whatever it is you think you have or someone said that you have or symptoms you are experiencing.” she said. “We are so thorough about restaurants, shoppings and other things … I think we need to be thorough about our health.”
While it is unclear what Frankel was referring to, she revealed earlier this year that she was diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease.
“[The doctor] said it could be a function of this traumatic experience I had years ago when I almost died from an allergy attack,” she explained in an January Instagram video. “It could have done damage to the kidney. It could be autoimmune.”
One month later Frankel shared an update, revealing that her kidney disease was actually stage 3A, meaning she has mild to moderate kidney function loss, per the National Kidney Foundation.
“So, right now, this is a step in the wrong direction, but not to be totally alarmed and to come back and get tested in a couple of months,” she said in a February video. “I have a little bit of anxiety and I’m sick to my stomach, but I’m remaining calm.”
