Patient Narrative on Type 1 Diabetes: Sally

Diabetes affects both the patient and their entire family – including their plans for a future family! Meet Sally McKinstry as she describes what living with Type I diabetes has been like since her diagnosis at the age of 16 y.o.

^{This patient interview with Sally was conducted by Lorraine Gilman & Dr. David Kojwang, BCIT Basic Health Sciences Dept. Licensed under All rights reserved}

Sally describes the effects of “brittle diabetes” (i.e. difficult to control Type I diabetes due to the huge swings in blood sugar) on her body and her transplant which gave her a new view on life.

^{This patient interview with Sally was conducted by Lorraine Gilman & Dr. David Kojwang, BCIT Basic Health Sciences Dept. Licensed under All rights reserved. Please note that the dialysis machines depicted are examples of machinery found in health care settings at the time of Sally’s need for peritoneal dialysis.}

Meet Sally’s family as they describe how Sally’s diabetes influenced their lives.

^{These patient interviews with Bill and Katie were conducted by Dr. Jennifer Kong in 2022, BCIT Basic Health Sciences Dept. Licensed under All rights reserved}

In 2019, Sally developed an aggressive cancer – unrelated to diabetes – which she and her family lived with during the COVID lockdown. Sally McKinstry died of this cancer in 2021. The McKinstry family strives to continue telling her story for the benefit of those living with diabetes and those who care for them.