Nacolby's Home Care has been exceptional, thanks to Tamara and my incredible PCA (Personal Care…read moreAssistant), Rykeeta. I highly recommend this agency to anyone needing support in recovery, whether for themselves or a loved one. Accepting I needed help was difficult, but when I did, my life became immensely better. Rykeeta helped instill the belief that asking for help was not an admission of weakness or being unable to do it on my own. Accepting help was good for both my body and my mind. When my doctor asked what Rykeeta did for me, I told him she encouraged me to ask for help. He turned to her and said, "Thank God, finally." Now, every three months, he's interested in her opinions about my weight and health progress.
I was 59 and 300 lbs when I was taken to the ER on October 30th of 2024. Friends thought I was going to die. Transferred to the rehab center a week later, I couldn't walk, but I became extremely proactive in my progress. Now, I wanted to live and get better. I was walking using a Rollator. Still, I could only walk up three steps without assistance, and only stand for less than five minutes before pain forced me to sit down. Since I was staying with close friends, I didn't feel I needed any extra help. I felt I could handle myself.
At my first meeting with Tamara and Rykeeta in February 2025, I weighed 287 lbs after my release from rehab on January 29th. I was surprised that my insurance company felt I needed an aide. Having a stranger around me every day for the whole week seemed excessive. Tamara explained that some clients choose a family member or friend as their PCA. I eagerly jumped at this opportunity. Looking back, we were naive in thinking that having a PCA meant entertaining a guest. Soon, my friends asked me to "fire" them and call Tamara and beg for Rykeeta. Lesson learned. She has helped me become more independent in my personal care. As of this writing, I'm at 177 pounds.
This remarkable young woman understands my fierce desire to do things myself. Using the shower becomes easier every day. She makes sure I take my meds. She's aware of my schedule and helps with housekeeping and grocery shopping. When walking, sometimes she lets me take a few steps with my cane before quietly asking if I need my rollator. I know when she's right, and she'll get it for me without any judgment. She celebrates when I climb a flight of stairs and reminds me to slow down when I push too far. She notices the return of my slight limp and unbalanced gait when I'm tired. After my mom's diagnosis of liver cancer, she keeps my health her priority. Last April, when relentless nausea sent me to the ER, she helped me see a urologist, driving me from Virginia Beach to Suffolk. She inspired me to keep up with PT, even when pain made me curl up, and I joked with my PT about exercises I could do in that position. She took over my daily tasks before and after the kidney stone surgery. She reassures me that these things are small bumps in my journey, not a return to square one. After the shock of the loss of a very close friend, she kept my health a priority. Thanks to her, I have reclaimed my strength, my confidence, my personality, and my laughter.
Mentally, the aid of my PCA has been enlightening. I expected the practical support of having a PCA during the week. I didn't expect Rykeeta's impact on my mental health. Per my friends, the real Megan is back, and credits much of this to Rykeeta. For a decade, I ignored my health, the resulting morbid obesity, and depression from the demands of caregiver duties for my parents. I'm excited about my recovery, not ashamed to say I need help, nor to accept I've still got a ways to go. My family and friends seek her opinion if they suspect I am downplaying things. My elderly neighbors, known as Mom #2 and Dad #2, see her as essential to my recovery. They respect her, and Dad #2 never hesitates to tell her to "stay on my case and not let me slide backward." My parents and brother adore her.
Nacolby's Home Care was highly recommended by my case manager at Anthem HealthKeepers while I was in rehab. My case manager had already called Nacolby's to expect my call and given me information about the agency I could research, but I was lost in a mental fog from a severe UTI and COVID. Tamara took the initiative to connect with my brother, my POA. When I got to talk to her, she made me feel comfortable, not guilty for missing her calls. Both she and Deborah, the owner, have visited my own home for assessments with smiles, encouragement, and professionalism.
This agency is invaluable. Thanks to Deborah's leadership and Tamara's guidance, I was able to make the decisions needed to keep my insurance. Rykeeta is now a vital cog in my recovery and daily life. She is also a friend I know will remain in my life even after my healing is complete.