Attending a house trade hearing virtually, Crenshaw said he “can’t really see all of you” but hoped to be back to normal in a few months. “It’s good to be back with all of you. I still can’t see you. So it will be a few more weeks before that happens. But I’m fine.”
“Look, you don’t need to feel bad for me,” he said. “We raise our right hand and then we ask to go to war, and sometimes that’s what happens. But I hope to be back to normal within a few months. But for now, even a blind man who trolling can get an audience. So here I am, and let’s get to work.”
Crenshaw, who was a US Navy SEAL, lost his right eye after being hit by an IED explosion in Afghanistan. This explosion also caused cataracts, excessive tissue damage and extensive damage to his left retina.
The Texas Republican said earlier this month he noticed “dark, blurry spots” in his vision and went to see an eye doctor, who diagnosed him with retinal detachment.
“It’s a terrifying prognosis for someone with one eye, and the nature of the injuries I suffered 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 said in his statement announcing the diagnosis.
The congressman underwent emergency surgery at DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston to reattach his left retina. Crenshaw said last week that surgeons put a “silicone loop” around his retina and used a laser to “glue” around the edges of the retina.
“I still have pain and inflammation, you can see that. I have quite a red eye. But the doctors are optimistic. I’ve been to several follow-up appointments already. And the retina remains in place, which means hopefully I will return to some sense of normalcy within the next two months, which means I can correct my vision back to normal,” he said.
“So that’s what we’re hoping for and we’re optimistic that it will happen. I’ll be back with you soon enough.”
