Crenshaw says he can’t see ‘much other than lights and shadows’ after eye surgery, hopeful for recovery

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Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw said that after emergency eye surgery, he is still unable to see much more than lights and shadows but is "hopeful" his sight will return to what it was before. 

The surgery involved a damaged retina. Crenshaw said he had his first follow-up appointment since the surgery on April 9, and doctors found his retina was still in its proper place. 

"I can lift my head up again and no longer have to position myself face-down, which is a relief. This is obviously good news, but we are not out of the woods yet," the Texas Republican said.

"I still cannot see much other than lights and shadows, basically, I am still in the very early stages of recovery. I am not sure how my vision will be in a few weeks, but I am hopeful and confident that it will return to normal."

CRENSHAW SAYS HE'LL BE 'BLIND FOR ABOUT A MONTH' AFTER EYE SURGERY 

Crenshaw, a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, lost his right eye during a deployment in Afghanistan when he was wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) and wears a patch on that eye.

But his left eye also sustained damage in the 2012 blast, and he learned this week that the problems had gotten worse.

Crenshaw said that surgeons had put a "silicon bubble" around his retina and used a laser to glue the edges around the retina. He said that to keep the retina in place, the doctors had injected a gas bubble to bandage the retina and prevent it from detaching further. 

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Crenshaw said he is still unable to fly for at least six weeks due to pressure changes, so he will not be able to return to Washington, D.C. during that period. 

"If you have any good audio book recommendations, send them my way," Crenshaw added.