According to the spokeswoman for the Department of Law, Alaska Attorney General Kevin Clarkson is recovering from surgery in Seattle after a heart attack and will be home next week.
“The Attorney General was taken to the hospital after landing in Seattle Friday night. He had emergency surgery and is currently recovering and in good spirits. He appreciates the well wishes and expects to return to Anchorage next week.”
Clarkson was appointed by Gov. Michael Dunleavy in December and confirmed in mid-April by the Alaska Legislature.
[Read: Kevin Clarkson appointed attorney general]
Clarkson wrote on Facebook this morning his account of what happened:
“I’m doing fine. The surgery was almost a non event — very unnoticeable surgery except the wound on my wrist where they went into my arteries. The longest side effect is the sore chest muscles where the paramedics must have really gone to town dancing on my chest to resuscitate me. Thank God they were there. I almost didn’t hit the call button because I didn’t want to make a fuss. But I understood the signs enough to realize I needed to do so. Luckily there was a nurse on the plane to take my blood pressure—her eyes went wide—confirmation I made the right decision—and told the crew to call paramedics to meet us at the gate.
“The paramedics came on the plane and I walked off with them. Sat down and they ran an EKG—they said yeah you’re not going home tonight. They called medics to transport me and then I remember telling them I felt dizzy and I just blacked out. Next thing I remember was waking up on the floor with 5 guys looking down over me and my shirt cut off—I guess the buttons would have been too slow ; )
“Rushed me to the hospital and straight to an angiogram and angioplasty to put two stents in my artery on my heart. My brother is a doctor and lives in Mukeltio near Seattle and the cardiologist called him to come down. They were asking me questions about how old I was and I asked what time is it. They must have thought I was delusional because they just kept asking no sir how old are you? So I finally said well if it’s after midnight then I’m 60 otherwise I’m 59. They all laughed and then they all wished me a happy birthday. What a party.”
Godspeed, General Clarkson.
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