Zoë François Is Recovering After Emergency Surgery

Famed pastry chef Zoë François has had a tough time of it lately, thanks to a sudden ailment that required swift surgery to get her back to normal. The host of Magnolia network's "Zoë Bakes" is used to hard work, however, having grown up on a commune in Vermont where she churned butter on the daily and eventually taught herself to cook, according to her professional site.

Still, it had to be terrifying when she suddenly started dealing with vision issues recently, including a "dark haze," light flashes, and "large floaters." It turns out that she was suffering from a detached retina, and were it not for swift intervention by a retina specialist, she could have lost her sight entirely. "He saved my vision," she said in an Instagram post last week, in which she sported a sassy eyepatch and her trademark ear-to-ear smile.

At the time of the emergency, she was actually in Waco, Texas, home of Chip and Joanna Gaines, shooting a television program. Not surprisingly, people are thrilled and relieved that the beloved baker is on the mend.

Zoë François is dishing out all of the credit on Instagram for her swift treatment and recovery to the people who helped her during her recent eye emergency. The couple who own the Airbnb where she was staying in Waco referred her to an eye doctor, who arranged for her to have immediate surgery back in Minneapolis. She also gave tons of kudos to the folks at Magnolia Network, Silos Baking Competition, and Blindnil, who she says provided support as well. And of course, she thanked her husband "for being my rock and my eyes during this ordeal." She clearly has a positive view of the overall experience: "With this bizarre emergency came a very solid reminder of how much good there is in people," she said in the video.

People are lining up to virtually express their gratitude that François is doing well post-surgery. Fellow celebrity chef Sophia Roe commented that she's sending "healing vibes," and is "so glad you advocated for yourself while also having the support of so many." Baker and cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum expressed sympathy that she had to deal with this emergency, saying, "Losing sight is the most scary thing I can think of." Although François has to wear a "dramatic patch" for "a long time," per the Insta video, she says she's just fine with it, probably because she got out of the situation without any vision loss. That's a best-case scenario, for sure.