Marva Clark
66, East Village

     I was homebound when I first moved to this block, in the late 80s. I lived across the street, I had my dog Teddy then. After Teddy passed, it was either get another dog, or sit in here and just be stupid. I chose not to do that, so I went out and started to get involved. I used to have building meetings in my apartment. That brought people into my home, so I didn’t have to sit and deal with my problems all the time.
     I don’t have to run out a lot, because my meals come to the house. I eat my lunch; then I have to take my diabetic needle, I have to take that 3 times a day. That’s why I still have a nurse; on account of my hands, I can’t do the injections. She has to do my needles and she has to do my pillbox. But Medicaid cut back on it. So now I have to get a friend to come. My nurse is teaching her how to do the insulin needles. But I don’t know what’s going to happen, because my friend has M.S. So now she has to give herself injections.