After a near-fatal illness, State Representative Careen Gordon was given a clean bill of health two weeks ago by her physician.

“He said, ‘Careen, you were truly that close to being gone from us,” the Morris Democrat said today. “’Thank goodness, they found what was wrong.’”

Gordon is running for re-election on Nov. 2 against Republican newcomer Sue Rezin of Morris in the 75th Illinois Legislative District.

Gordon’s first public acknowledgment of her year-long illness came in a press release issued this week as part of her campaign. She did not, however, want to make public the medical records on the illness and resultant surgery because she believes there still is some level of privacy, even for an elected official.

“Now I’m healthy, my energy level is back, everything’s good, I feel great, and I’ve completely recovered,” she said. “It was just over a year there they didn’t know what was wrong.”

Of her surgery, Gordon said the scars are still present.

“When I wasn’t around in the district as much as I normally was, it was because I was in bed,” she said. “I was in four separate hospitals — Morris, where the surgery took place; Ottawa; Northwestern; and Loyola — all in one year,” she said.

“My doctors will back me up on that. I can show anyone the surgery scars, because they are still there.”

She noted her opponent in the election mentioned during a radio debate in Joliet earlier this week Gordon’s prolonged absence from Springfield, and accused the representative of not working with State Senator Gary Dahl, R-Granville, of the 38th District.

“Up until the fact that I got very ill, and truly could have died until I had emergency surgery, I had pretty much of a 100 percent attendance record of being in Springfield, making the votes, and making certain my constituents were represented down there,” Gordon said today.

“While I was ill, the 75th District was being served by my office, problems were getting solved, and questions by the working families, businesses, and education entities that I represent were answered. My office was open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and whenever I could get to where I was going, I was there.”

During her illness, Gordon said today, she co-sponsored more than 50 bills and was lead sponsor on 14 bills that were signed into law.

She also said Rezin has not explained why she missed more than 20 percent of the meetings while she was a member of the Nettle Creek School Board, or why she missed crucial votes, including that on the school budget.

Gordon denied not working with Dahl in the General Assembly, and spoke of one piece of legislation she brought to him so he could be the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate.

She said she spoke with Chris Miller in Springfield, and asked his assistance to help Dahl get the proposal through the Senate Judicial Committee.

“So, I really don’t know what he’s talking about. He’s choosing not to work with me. And he’s also — interestingly enough from what I understand — the manager of (Rezin’s) campaign.

The senator was concerned for her welfare during her illness, Gordon said.

“Gary Dahl used to come over to the house and check on me, and ask how I was feeling, so he knows damn well that I was very, very ill,” she said.

She also noted she was “absolutely stunned” in the radio debate that the wife of a doctor “would accuse someone of not being there when I was sick.”

Rezin deferred comment Wednesday to Dahl, indicating her remarks were read from the text of a radio political ad recorded on her behalf by the senator.

“In the debate, Sue had a copy of the ad I did for her, and she read, word for word, from it, what I said,” Dahl noted Wednesday.

Dahl said Gordon’s record of attendance in Springfield was brought up in the debate, with Rezin saying the state representative “has a dismal record.”

“The radio ad says I don’t have a clue as to what Careen does in Springfield, that she is non-existent when it comes to doing things,” Dahl said. “As far as my office is concerned, I gave up completely trying to work with her and her constituents on her issues.”

The 60-second radio ad reads thus in its entirety:

“This is State Senator Gary Dahl, and I have an important message for you.

“Democrat Representative Careen Gordon leads people to believe we work together. Nothing could be further from the truth. We do not work together in the district or in Springfield. My office has completely given up on trying to work with her on constituent issues because she refuses to get things done.

“Careen Gordon’s latest attacks on Sue Rezin are baseless and false. The simple fact is that Sue Rezin has invested in the community, created jobs, and paid property taxes. Careen Gordon has never personally created a private sector job. Even the Chicago Tribune has stated that Careen Gordon has lost her enthusiasm. Careen has a dismal attendance record in Springfield, and is non-existent in her district; that is unacceptable.

“Together, Sue Rezin and I will work to get Illinois moving in the right direction. But I cannot do it without your help. Let’s send a strong message on November 2nd. Vote for Sue Rezin for state rep.”

The ad was paid for by Rezin’s campaign committee.