While some students are busy checking Facebook profiles during class, chemical engineering sophomore Claire Ganey checks something much more important — her blood sugar. Ganey discovered she had Type 1 diabetes during a Thanksgiving break from school when she was 8 years old. “It’s like the invisible disease,” she said. “You don’t look sick, but in reality you are. It’s one of those things you have to learn to live with the rest of your life.” Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, according to the American Diabetes Association. Those who have the disease can’t produce insulin — a hormone needed to convert sugar, starch and other substances into energy necessary for daily life. Ganey said she takes two insulin shots a day to keep her blood sugar down, along with separate insulin shots after each time she eats. “It’s all about management and control,” Ganey said. Treats like raisins, juice boxes and sugary candy are permanent staples in her purse for times when her blood sugar is too low. “I kind of look like a mom with all the snacks — or Willy Wonka with all the candy,” she said. Ganey said she felt self-conscious about giving herself insulin shots in her arm, leg or stomach and pricking her finger to check her blood sugar in public when she was younger, but now she will even do it during class. And while she hasn’t had to miss a test or class at the University because of her diabetes, Ganey is registered with the Office of Disability Services, which gives her a letter of accommodation to give to professors.  But Ganey said she checks her blood sugar about five times before each of her exams to make sure she’s ready to go. Ben Cornwell, director of LSU Disability Services, said 225 students at the University are registered as having a physical or medical disability, which can range from spinal cord injuries to epilepsy to diabetes. Cornwell said the University will work with diabetic students in dealing with things like absences and scheduling courses around injection times. “A lot of diabetic students follow a rigid routine,” he said. After suffering two blood sugar-induced seizures — one of which sent her to the hospital with a minor concussion — Ganey said she understands the seriousness of diabetes. “That was really scary,” she said. “Before then, I didn’t realize [diabetes] could kill me. But when that happened, it was like, ‘I could just go to bed at night and not wake up.'” Julie Hupperich, associate director of the Student Health Center and registered dietician, said sleep is one of the hardest times to manage diabetes because it is such a long period of time to go without eating. About 30 students treated at the Student Health Center during the last year listed diabetes as a condition, Hupperich said. She said that number may seem smaller than expected because some students don’t seek treatment on campus. “Many college students who have diabetes have Type 1 which was diagnosed in childhood,” she said. “Therefore they have an established relationship with an endocrinologist off campus who manages their care.” She said while the Student Health Center doesn’t have an endocrinologist on staff, it is still a good resource for diabetic students because it offers free access to a dietician and physicians for students who pay the Student Health Center fee. All full-time students automatically pay the fee. —-Contact Kyle Bove  at [email protected]