Chakrit Yaemnam Opens up about his mental state after losing a close friend Re McDonald Praises Mam Sarinya Re's wife, who showed great strength in recovering to become the family and team leader effectively, as well as Mika the son who traveled to Japan to film the show 'Raeron' to continue his father's legacy. Chakrit said that although he misses his dear friend every day, life must go on, and they are all ready to support and help their friend's family fully.
Additionally, Chakrit revealed his recent health scare that surprised him and his family. After focusing heavily on physical therapy and exercise to maintain his physique at age 48, he suffered a back squat injury causing a herniated cervical disc pressing on the C5 nerve root. This resulted in pain, numbness, weakness in his right arm, and initial brain fog that made him think he might have had a stroke. Fortunately, doctors determined surgery is not yet needed, prescribing medication and ongoing physical therapy. He admitted fearing becoming a burden to his family because he wants to live and see his child grow.
Is Mika going to Japan with the Raeron team?
"Oh, yes, he's going. You could say he's carrying on the work. Raeron will continue, and everyone has a role to present good stories and journeys in the Raeron style to our fan base and all who love Re. It's a legacy of Re that continues on."
How do you feel seeing your nephew take on his father's role?
"It's good. For me, the biggest concern is Mika because as long as we, including Mam, haven't recovered, the emotional impact falls on Mika. What we can do best is recover as quickly and strongly as possible."
"It's not that we don't feel sad — everyone is sad. There's not a second or a day we don't think about him, truly. Sometimes when I wake up, it flashes in my mind, saying 'Love you.' I talk to myself, not sure if he knows or not, but that's what stays in all of our hearts."
"Even though Mam is the wife, she is now the head of the family and team, doing an excellent job leading. With her recovery, Mika absorbs these things and will return to normal life as quickly as possible, with strength and mature understanding."
How is Mam’s mental state? Have you talked with friends?
"Well, I think everyone's mental state, especially Mam’s as the wife, is not good when asked. But as I said, everything will pass. There are other parts of life to focus on and responsibilities to take. Strength in mind and action must arise."
"If you ask me if I'm okay, since my mother passed, I’m still not okay, but what can you do? We are still here; life goes on. Losing a friend is hard because since I was young, it was my mother, Re, and me together. But what can we do? It’s the life cycle. We grieve deeply, then we can only go up. After this, we must pull ourselves up, support friends and family, and keep fighting, that's all."
What is Chakrit's current physical health status?
"Recently, I've been taking very good care of myself, exercising intensely, including heavy weight lifting. I’ve been trying to gain weight to grow muscle, watching my diet with fasting to keep a good figure. At an older age, even a little food can cause weight gain easily. With my work and business, I have to control myself through exercise."
"I have a herniated disc. About 20 years ago, I had a herniated lumbar disc, probably L3, L4, L5. It was severe; I couldn't walk, stand, or sit for months, but luckily I recovered and have cared for myself since. Recently, I lifted weights a bit recklessly at age 48, causing a herniated cervical disc at C5, pressing on the nerve on the right side, causing pain, numbness, and weakness in the right arm down to the fingertips. It's improving now."
Has it affected your daily life?
"Oh, in the first stage, it affected my brain; I thought I had a stroke because everything was numb. The nerve was blocked, and I couldn't think clearly; I felt like I was about to faint during the first week."
Did it happen due to intense lifestyle?
"Yes, it was a bit reckless—not reckless per se, but I wanted to gain weight. However, my body parts have had problems with my back for a long time, so it’s more fragile than normal. There’s inflammation in my bones as a baseline."
Are you back to normal now?
"It’s just gotten better in the past 2-3 days. The pain radiating from fingertips has decreased to the area under the shoulder blade, about 70-75% better."
How are you treating it?
"I take medication and do physical therapy. Initially, I had six sessions over two weeks; now I go once a week continuously. I see it as beneficial because if I recover, maintaining weekly therapy is good for long-term care. Many people stop once they feel better, but I now see the value in long-term maintenance."
Will surgery be necessary?
"No, luckily. I was afraid I’d need surgery, but the doctor said it’s not necessary yet. Still, I must be careful. The doctor said I can exercise again, but some movements and positions aren’t advisable. The injury happened during a back squat with weight resting on my neck."
What did you think when you got sick?
"My child is still young. I didn’t want to get sick or hurt. I didn’t want to become a burden to my family. I want to happily live with my family, run and play with my child until he grows up, travel together as a family of three: father, mother, and child. I didn’t want to suddenly become a burden. I’m scared, but if I just sit and fear, I won’t live life. So, I’m taking care of myself, enduring, and hoping it will pass."
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