That's what Phoenix Suns forward Amar'e Stoudemire faced when examination of a detached retina in February revealed serious trauma. Pravin Dugel, the doctor who performed three surgeries to reattach the retina so Stoudemire could retain sight, said about 50% of patients with this problem go blind.

" 'Am I going to get my sight back?' That was the scary part," Stoudemire said.

He is back, even sooner than Suns general manager Steve Kerr expected, and he is a major reason the Suns were 8-1 entering Thursday's game against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Stoudemire was Phoenix's second-leading scorer (19.2 points a game) and rebounder (8.2) and is shooting better than last season's average (57.3% to 53.9%).

His eye is good, and so is his long-term prognosis. Dugel examined him before the Suns' 124-104 victory Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets and said his vision is correctable to 20/20. Stoudemire likely will develop a cataract, Dugel said, but considering the intricate surgeries performed, correcting that will seem routine.

"It's just a matter of keeping it protected and not having any more damage to the eye," said Stoudemire, who wears protective goggles during games and postgame looks like a Brooklyn hipster in thick, black-rimmed glasses.

Because the eye was in such a fragile state after each surgery, Stoudemire didn't exercise or lift weights until training camp. He is still working back into game shape, and his reaction time, especially on defense, is sometimes a half step behind. But as teammate Jason Richardson said, "I'll take a little bit of Amar'e than none of Amar'e."

Any of Stoudemire was in doubt after Feb. 18, when he was poked in the right eye against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The final surgery in July was the most delicate and invasive. Dugel removed fluid and placed a gas bubble in the eye to push the retina back into place.

"I always kept my focus and did whatever it took to get my sight back," Stoudemire said. "It was just a matter of being patient and following the doctor's orders.

What he was told: Lie facedown 22 hours a day, 10 days in a row, so the gas bubble could do its job. Stoudemire checked into a hotel for 10 days to eliminate distractions.

"It wasn't fun at all," he said. "I kept my teammates in mind. They were depending on me to come back healthy and strong. That's what motivated me through the summer."

Stoudemire looks strong offensively, especially running the pick-and-roll with point guard Steve Nash at the top of the key. Teams know it's coming, but it's a thing of beauty when Nash makes a no-look bounce pass to Stoudemire in the lane for an easy dunk.

His focus is on Basketball, not the eye, and not his contract -- he can opt out after the season. "I'm not sure how it's going to play out," Stoudemire said, "but I think if we keep winning, everything should work out for the best."