Rep. Dan Crenshaw Virtually Blind After Receiving 'Terrifying Prognosis' at Doctor Visit, Surgeons Intervene
Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas announced Saturday that he will be sidelined for a few weeks due to an operation to preserve what is left of the combat veteran’s sight.
“A few days ago, I noticed some dark, blurry spots in my vision, which seemed out of the ordinary,” Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, said in a statement shared on Twitter. “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. Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don’t have a ‘good eye,’ but half a good eye,” he wrote.
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) April 10, 2021
Crenshaw said that the damage from the explosion that cost him the sight of one eye left the other badly damaged.
“The blast from 2012 caused a cataract, extensive tissue damage, and extensive damage to my retina. 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,” he wrote.
“The prognosis I received on Thursday is obviously very bad,” he wrote, noting that his wife, Tara Crenshaw, drove him to Houston on Friday where he underwent emergency surgery at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
He noted that his wife “was by [his] side the entire time.” Crenshaw does, however, face a long recovery.
“The surgery went well, but I will be effectively blind for about a month,” he wrote.
“I want to especially thank the phenomenal team of doctors and nurses at the VA who took such good care of me. During the surgery they put a gas bubble in my eye, which acts as a bandage for my retina. This means I have to be face-down for the next week or so, unable to see anything.”
Crenshaw said he will update his constituents on his condition but otherwise lay low.
“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.”
Crenshaw put a bold face on his prognosis.
“I have gotten through worse before, and I will get through this,” he wrote. “I’ve got Tara by my side, and we are here in Houston with plenty of support.”
The Texas congressman did have one request.
“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,” he wrote.
Praying for you and your doctors!
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) April 10, 2021
A reminder of the lifelong sacrifices our veterans make to protect our freedoms. I am very sorry to hear about Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s recent diagnosis and surgery, and am praying for the very best through his recovery. https://t.co/89VosYJVla
— Kelsey Bolar (Harkness) (@kelseybolar) April 10, 2021
Crenshaw said his congressional offices will be working as normal while he recovers.
The congressman’s biography on his website provides insight as to how he was wounded during combat in Afghanistan.
“On Dan’s third deployment in 2012, his life changed forever. After six months of combat operations, he was hit by an IED blast during a mission in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was evacuated and awoke from his medically induced coma learning that his right eye had been destroyed in the blast and his left eye was badly damaged,” the website reads.
“Dan was completely blind and the doctors did not believe he would ever see again. Tara stood by him every day and night, keeping faith and praying he would see again. After several difficult surgeries and months of fighting a tough diagnosis, Dan eventually regained sight in his left eye, a miracle according to the head surgeon,” his biography continues.
“Dan refused to quit and went on to deploy twice more, first back to the Middle East in 2014 and then South Korea in 2016.”
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