Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw, a former NAVY SEAL who lost his right eye in Afghanistan, announced Saturday that he was operated on this week for an eye problem and will be “effectively blind for about a month. “.
Crenshaw, 37, Houston Republican has tweeted a statement saying a few days ago he had “noticed some dark, blurry spots” in his vision, “which seemed out of the ordinary.”
He sought medical attention Thursday and an ophthalmologist told him the retina of his left eye was coming off.
“This is a terrifying prognosis for someone with one eye and the nature of the injuries I suffered in Afghanistan,” wrote Crenshaw, who served in the U.S. Navy from 2006 to 2016 and retired as a lieutenant commander.
He said the 2012 FDI explosion in Helmand province left him with “half a good eye” and that there was always a chance that the effects of the damage would resurface.
“It seems to be exactly what has happened,” he said.
The blast injuries, which occurred during Crenshaw’s third deployment, initially caused total blindness, but he gained sight in his remaining eye and continued to make two more service visits.
He underwent emergency surgery Friday at VA Medical Center in Houston.
“During the surgery they put a gas bubble in my eye, which acts as a bandage for my retina,” he said. “That means I have to be face to face over the next week or so, unable to see anything.”
Crenshaw said he would probably make it off social media, except for updates on his health when he recovered at his Houston home with his wife, Tara.
“I’ve had a worse time before and I’ll get it,” Crenshaw wrote.
Still, he added, “Some prayers for my vision to return to normal and to recover completely would not hurt, and I would be very grateful.”
Crenshaw won a second term in Congress in November, beating defiant Democrat Sima Ladjevardian.