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April 10 (UPI) -- Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, announced Saturday that he will be "pretty much off the grid" for a few weeks following an emergency eye surgery that will render him "effectively blind" as he recovers. In a statement posted to Twitter, Crenshaw said that during an ophthalmologist appointment Thursday, his doctor discovered his retina was detaching and ordered emergency surgery at a VA medical center in Houston.
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The surgery went well, Crenshaw said, but doctors inserted a gas bubble in his eye to act as a bandage for the retina, which will render him unable to see.
"This is why you're not going to hear from me for a while," Crenshaw said. "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."
His offices in Washington, D.C., and Texas will continue to operate, he added, and encouraged constituents to reach out if they need help.
Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, lost an eye to an IED blast in Afghanistan.
The same incident caused significant damage to his remaining eye.
"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 said.
He also said prayers for the full recovery of his vision "wouldn't hurt" and would be "much appreciated."
"I have gotten through worse before, and I will get through this," Crenshaw said.
