'This is why you're not going to hear from me for a while': Rep. Dan Crenshaw reveals he'll be 'blind for a month' after undergoing eye surgery nine years after losing his right eye in Afghanistan
Rep. Dan Crenshaw has announced he will be 'blind for a month' and going 'off the grid' after undergoing emergency surgery for his left eye.
The Texas congressman, who lost his right eye while serving in Afghanistan, revealed on Saturday that he has been experiencing complications with his remaining eye.
'I am sorry to inform everyone that I will be pretty much off the grid for the next few weeks,' he said in a statement shared on social media.
'A few days ago, I noticed some dark, blurry spots in my vision, which seemed out of the ordinary. I went to get this checked out by an ophthalmologist on Thursday and they discovered that my retina was detaching.
'This is a terrifying prognosis for someone with one eye, and the nature of the injuries that I sustained in Afghanistan.'
Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw has revealed he underwent emergency surgery for his left eye on Friday and will be temporarily blind
The Texas congressman, 37, said he was experiencing complications with his left eye stemming from his injury in Afghanistan in 2012
The former Navy SEAL, 37, wears an eyepatch after losing his right eye when a bomb detonated in Afghanistan during his third deployment in 2012.
Although he can still see from his left, Crenshaw explained the blast also caused a cataract and extensive damage to the retina, and there was 'always a possibility' that the effects of the injury would resurface.
'Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don't have a 'good eye,' but half a good eye,' he added.
'The prognosis I received Thursday is obviously very bad. Tara [his wife] drove me to emergency surgery on Friday morning at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston and was by my side the entire time.
'The surgery went well, but I will be effectively blind for about a month. I want to especially thank the phenomenal team of doctors and nurses at the VA who took such good care of me.'
Crenshaw explained doctors put a 'gas bubble' in his eye that will serve as a bandage for his retina, meaning he will have to spend the next week 'face-down' and won't be able to see
Crenshaw, 37, a former Navy lieutenant commander who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said the retina in his left eye appeared to be detaching as a result of extensive damage suffered in a 2012 attack in Afghanistan's Helmand Province
Crenshaw said doctors put a 'gas bubble' in his eye that will serve as a bandage for his retina, meaning he'll have to spend the next week 'face-down' and won't be able to see.
'This is why you're not going to hear from me for a while. I likely will not be conducting interviews and likely will not be posting on social media, except to give updates on my health and recovery,' he added.
'I have gotten through worse before and I will get through this. I've got Tara by my side, and we are here in Houston with plenty of support. A few prayers that my vision will get back to normal and that I will make a full recovery wouldn't hurt, though, and would be much appreciated.'
Crenshaw, pictured with his wife Tara Crenshaw in 2018, said he will be taking time off to focus on his recovery
The Texas Republican's congressional offices in Washington, D.C. and Houston will continue to operate and will still be taking calls from constituents while he recovers, Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw was reelected in November representing Texas' 2nd Congressional District in the Houston area.
The congressman made national headlines in 2018 after comedian Pete Davidson made fun of his eyepatch on Saturday Night Live.
Davidson had joked that Crenshaw looked like 'a hitman in a porno movie'.
He then took it a step further by mocking his battle wounds. 'I'm sorry,' he added. 'I know he lost his eye in war or whatever.'
The joke was widely criticized. But Crenshaw appeared on the show alongside Davidson a week later to accept his apology.
