Inside Bethenny Frankel's Battle With Anxiety After Kidney Disease Diagnosis

Bethenny Frankel is doing the one thing her doctor keeps hammering home: drink more water. The former Real Housewives of New York star, now 55, has been open about dealing with chronic kidney disease, and she says staying on top of hydration has basically become a full-time job.

How she is actually feeling

Frankel says some days she crashes hard, sleeps a ton, and wakes up even more dehydrated. Then it becomes the cycle of chugging water, running to the bathroom, repeat. She is trying to juggle that with being a mom to her daughter, Bryn, who turns 16 in May, which has brought on a wave of health anxiety. In her words, she is fine... but not thrilled about any of it.

'Water is your medicine.'

That line from her doctor has basically turned her water bottle into an accessory she takes everywhere. She admits she feels a little odd carting it into restaurants and keeping electrolyte packets on standby, but she is leaning into it. Her version of hydration looks like water plus electrolytes - she jokes it is practically a smoothie at this point. She wants to work out and even just sleep without paying for it after, but both can leave her insanely dried out. As she puts it, she could be the 'thirstiest bitch ever.'

Where things stand with her diagnosis

• January: Frankel shared that tests showed stage 2 chronic kidney disease after her kidney function came back low. She has wondered if a life-threatening allergic reaction she had years ago might have caused damage, or if something autoimmune is in play.
• February: After a follow-up, she clarified it is actually stage 3A, which the National Kidney Foundation describes as mild to moderate loss of kidney function. She is not on medication right now.
• Doctor’s orders: Keep drinking water. A lot of it. NKF notes that serious dehydration can harm the kidneys, while steady hydration can help them flush out waste in earlier stages of disease.

Yes, there is a freezer-aisle angle

Frankel was talking about all of this while she was promoting Yasso’s Foolproof Freezer campaign tied to their Frozen Greek Yogurt Spoonables. The brand is giving out 40,001 Spoonables - yes, that oddly specific number - to people who have suffered what they are calling 'freezer fraud,' meaning you bought a pint that turned out chalky and disappointing. If you want in, the window runs March 31 through April 30 at yasso.com/FoolproofFreezer.

Why she is into the brand: she likes that it is not just sugar and air. There is protein, and she points to a very reasonable 370 calories for an entire cookies and cream container. She is not preaching calorie-counting, just being aware. She and Bryn apparently keep some in the rotation most nights, and she also shouts out the dark chocolate crispy bars.

The bottom line

Frankel is not panicking, but she is taking the kidney situation seriously. For now, it is about sleep when she needs it, food that feels decent, and a relentless focus on hydration. The plan, straight from the doc: keep drinking water.