ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Jesse Ventura was admitted Tuesday to a hospital for treatment of a blood clot in his lung — the same problem that ended his professional wrestling career more than a decade ago.
Ventura's spokesman, John Wodele, said the governor was being treated with blood thinners, and was in stable condition and in good spirits.
"He'll be fine," Wodele said.
Ventura, who turns 51 on Monday, woke up Tuesday with discomfort in his chest. He went to North Memorial Hospital in suburban Robbinsdale after seeing his primary physician, the spokesman said.
A blood clot ended Ventura's wrestling career in the mid-1980s. He was hospitalized in intensive care for six days in San Diego, and was treated with clot-busting medication and an angiogram.
In a 1998 interview, Ventura described the experience as the lowest moment of his life, noting that he was forced to miss a big payday against Hulk Hogan in Los Angeles.
The governor canceled his public schedule for the next couple of days and was to spend Tuesday night in the hospital.
"We'll just evaluate as we go whether or not he can work beyond the ailment," Wodele said.
Ventura, an independent who was elected in 1998, said last month he would not seek a second term this fall. When he made the announcement, the former wrestler said his heart was no longer in the job and that he was tired of criticism of his family.
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