Sara Ringer with Crohn's disease poses in her underwear with her 'poop bag'

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Sara Ringer was in college when she was told she needed to have her large intestine and rectum removed or she would die
She talks about what it's like to go to the bathroom in a bag in an effort to normalize the procedure
Showing off her surgery scars and 'poop bag' in a series of revealing photos, Sara says she no longer feels 'ugly' due to her disease

Published: 11:04 EST, 1 October 2015 | Updated: 15:57 EST, 1 October 2015

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A young woman suffering from Crohn's disease who thought she would 'rather die' than go to the bathroom in a bag is proudly showing off her surgery scars – and her 'poop bag’ – in an effort to raise awareness about the procedure that saved her life.

Sara Ringer, who was in college when she was told by doctors that she would die unless she had her entire large intestine and rectum removed due to the disease, which causes inflammation of the bowels, talks openly about her experience as she is pictured holding up the bag while posing in her underwear on The Mighty.

'This bag is where I went to the bathroom', the text reads over one photo of Sara wearing only her underwear and showing the deep surgery scar on her abdomen.

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Speaking out: Sara Ringer, who suffers from Crohn's disease, which causes inflammation of the bowls, is seen posing with her 'poop bag' in an effort to raise awareness about the illness

Long journey: Initially, Sara thought she would 'rather die' than go to the bathroom in a bag, but was forced to have her rectum and large intestine removed or she would actually die

In honor of World Ostomy Day on October 3 - a day dedicated to those who have had ostomies, which are surgically created openings in the stomach that allow waste to leave the body - Sara is sharing her story to instill confidence in others who have had the procedure and to help remove the social stigma of ostomy bags.

Sara says she went to the emergency room one day because she was having a particularly rough time with her illness, and was told she needed to have an ileostomy, which is a surgically created opening in the small intestine.

Since she was to have her large intestine and rectum removed, Sara would no longer be able to go to the bathroom on her own, and would have to use the ostomy bag attached to her instead.

'Having that operation wrecked me mentally,' she writes of her surgery, adding: 'I quickly became depressed. I felt ugly, disfigured and like no one would love me like this.'

Staying strong: Sara hopes her story will help normalize ostomies, which are surgically created openings in the stomach that allow waste to leave the body.

Struggles: The blogger, who had her ostomy when she was in college, says she stayed in a bad relationship at the time because she thought her condition made her ugly and unlovable

Real life: Sara, who regularly writes about her disease on her blog, Inflamed and Untamed, says that people who have ostomies should not feel ashamed

Sara, who regularly writes about her disease on her blog, Inflamed and Untamed, and her Instagram and Facebook accounts, goes on to reveal that she was in a bad relationship at the time, but felt like she couldn't end it because: 'I figured no one else would ever want to be with me now that I had a body like this.'

Having the ostomy created some serious complications with her sex life, as well.

'When it came to having sex, I was terribly anxious. I couldn’t focus on anything else but the bag, and I cringed and recoiled at the feeling of touch on my body,' she says.

Sara's ostomy was only temporary, and she now uses a J-pouch, which is a surgically implanted pouch that sits where the rectum would normally be so that she can control when she goes to the bathroom.

Living a normal life: Foruntately, Sara no longer needs her ostomy bag and instead goes to the bathroom through a J-pouch, which is a surgically implanted pouch that sits where the rectum would normally be

Scars: Sara reveals she had a tough time having sex when she had her ostomy bag because she thought it made her 'disgusting'

Moving forward: Today, Sara says she accepts her disease and feels no less beautiful because of the way in which her body empties waste

Still, Sara is speaking out in an effort to normalize ostomies because she doesn't want anyone else who has one to feel 'gross, dirty, smelly, ugly or disgusting', like she used to.

'It breaks my heart knowing others might feel as bad about themselves as I did when I had my ostomy,' she shares.

Sara further talks about what it was like to use an ostomy bag, hoping that if people can understand exactly what it entails, they won't feel so judgmental about it.

'It's a weird thing not to use your butt to go to the bathroom. When I had my surgery and poop was just filling my bag, I sort of missed going to the bathroom how I used to, as weird as that sounds.

Reaching out: The blogger says it breaks her heart that other people feel insecure about their ostomy bags like she once did

Long road: Sara has come a long way since she first underwent her procedure, which left her with the scar seen above

It's alright: She says she wants people to know that they are not less beautiful because they go to the bathroom in a bag

'It’s weird not to feel the urge to go to the bathroom anymore,' she admits.

Hoping that her story will make people more aware of Crohn's disease and ostomy bags, Sara writes: 'The truth is that people with ostomies don’t smell any worse than people without.

'The truth is that ostomies are not just for elderly people but people of all ages... You can do all sorts of things with an ostomy like go swimming, participate in sports and fitness and lead a really fun and active life

She concludes her piece by asking readers not to 'judge' anyone who has had an ostomy because it is a necessary - and sometimes life-saving - medical procedure that was not their choice.

WHAT IS CROHN'S DISEASE?

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.

Inflammation caused by Crohn's disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people.

The inflammation caused by Crohn's disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue. Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications.

Source: Mayo Clinic