Bethenny Frankel Documents Her Skin Cancer Removal: '12 Stitches and I'll Be Back Like New'

Bethenny Frankel got real on Instagram on Tuesday, taking fans with her as she underwent surgery to remove a batch of skin cancer below her right eye.

“Living the glamorous life,” she joked with fans as she prepped for the out-patient procedure.

“Everybody in the press will be right — I am getting plastic surgery right now,” she added later as she laid down for her doctor, Dr. Mark Schwartz. “See? I’m at the plastic surgeon. I’m going to get a t– job at the same time.”

Later, as Schwartz put the final bandages on her fans, she told fans she has received 12 stitches.

“I’ll be back like new in a little bit,” Frankel said, asking her doctor, “I’m gonna live?”

“I think you’re going to live, I know you’re going to live,” he responded. “You’re going to be better than ever. It’s going to give you a little street cred right now.”

The quick-witted star was concerned about something else, though. “And sympathy?” she joked.

“And a lot of sympathy,” Schwartz responded.

Last month, the Real Housewives of New York City confirmed she need to remove a skin cancer growth.

“I had a growth on my face that was enlarging. I guessed it to be a basal cell carcinoma and had it lanced and removed,” Frankel told PEOPLE on Sept. 13. “The doctor confirmed it is indeed basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, and says while it is cancer, I am lucky to have it removed — so it won’t affect my overall health.”

In light of her diagnosis, Frankel implores everyone to be diligent about protecting their skin from the sun.

“I am extremely lucky to have caught it in time, and it just goes to show you have to know your body and be very aware of any changes. This was a sharp reminder why it is so important that I religiously wear large hats to cover my face and reapply sunscreen,” she said. “Always make sure to rub in spray-on sunscreen on your kids — spraying it on by itself doesn’t cover them enough. Apply it thoroughly every two hours and check the expiration dates as sunscreen does expire; and sit in the shade whenever possible.”

“I love to swim in the ocean and go to the beach, but this is a reminder that the sun is not your friend,” she added.

Aside from her own health, Frankel has been focusing on helping those in need.

The star actively campaigned to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey, donating 100 percent of the profits raised by her charity, B Strong, to women and families in the Houston area.

Over the weekend, she shared her firsthand account of the devastation in Mexico following this month’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake — visiting those affected by the quake and subsequent aftershocks in Mexico City and Jojutla with a small group from The Cabo Agency.

After touring the hardest-hit areas in Mexico City, Frankel stocked up on supplies and traveled by helicopter to Jojutla (a small town where at least 73 people have died) to deliver lightweight necessities, including feminine hygiene products and baby food.

Frankel also donated her own money and told PEOPLE she’s been distributing $20,000 out to the thousands displaced in Jojutla. “In order to help, you need to know who and where to donate in relief situations so it actually gets to them,” she said. “It is the worst situation I have ever seen.”