Representative Dan Crenshaw released a statement on Saturday which said that he had to get an emergency eye surgery this week following which he will be “effectively blind for about a month”.

A Navy SEAL veteran, Crenshaw lost his right eye in an IED explosion in 2012 when he was in Afghanistan. His left eye sustained major damage to the retina, developed a cataract and had excessive tissue damage. Lately, he started to see odd “dark, blurry spots”. He later discovered that his left retina was detaching when visited the ophthalmologist on Thursday.

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The doctors put a gas bubble in his left eye as a “bandage” for the retina and will be required to lie facedown for at least a week.  

In a tweet on Saturday, Crenshaw wrote, “This is a terrifying prognosis for someone with one eye, and the nature of the injuries that I sustained in Afghanistan.” 

“Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don’t have a ‘good eye,’ but half a good eye. … It was always a possibility that the effects of the damage to my retina would resurface, and it appears that is exactly what has happened,” the Republican wrote further. 

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On Friday Crenshaw’s wife drove him to the doctor for the emergency surgery. 

He further wrote, “The surgery went well, but I will be effectively blind for about a month. 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 was elected as a representative to the Congress back in 2018 and often sports a black eye patch to cover his right eye. His Houston and Washington congress offices will continue to work.