Beachcombing – Flatlines and Laugh Lines

There’s a proverbial saying that “laughter is the best medicine” that has been around for centuries. One local doctor has taken those words to heart and written a book that encapsulates his medical years in 196 pages of humorous vignettes that also provide insight into the complexities of medicine.

“Flatlines and Laugh Lines” was published last month by E. Mike Vasilomanolakis, MD, a Long Beach cardiologist with a wonderful sense of humor and humility. His book contains tales of medical school hijinks, meeting the rich and famous, and dealing with the day-to-day challenges of keeping patients happy and healthy.

He goes by “Dr. Mike” since his seven-syllable last name is a challenge to pronounce. Dr. Mike is officed in the medical building at Termino Avenue and PCH, next to Community Hospital. Before switching to the SCAN Health Plan and MemorialCare doctors in 2014, I relied on Dr. Mike to monitor my cardiovascular needs. Nearby, in the same building, were my internist, urologist, dermatologist, orthopedic surgeon and general surgeon.

Vasilomanolakis is a Greek name that I had fun learning to say with ease. It reminded me of my Air Force/disc jockey days in Minot, ND, in the mid-1960s when Georgios Athanasiadis-Novas was the Greek prime minister and I had to read that eight-syllable name during newscasts.

Born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Mike obtained his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Illinois and completed his residency at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital. He trained in cardiology at the University of California, Irvine, where he continues to mentor medical students.

One of the early treasures in “Flatlines and Laugh Lines” was the story about Dr. Mike looking forward to a presentation by Neil Armstrong, the Apollo 11 astronaut to first walk on the moon. During the Q&A portion of his talk at a 2001 American Medical Association meeting in Anaheim, Armstrong was asked to confirm a tale that he uttered the words “Good luck, Mr. Gorski” following the more famous “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The story was about Armstrong’s neighbors, the Gorski’s, having a heated argument when Mrs. Gorski said “You’ll get want you want (sex) when that kid next door walks on the moon.” Armstrong said that while it was a humorous anecdote, it was entirely fabricated.

In his early days of practice, Dr. Mike met Emmett Phillips, in his 90s, who claimed to have invented the Phillips screwdriver. “It was my idea. I developed the prototype. But my brother swooped in, got all the credit, and made a fortune off it.”

“Later that day, I looked it up,” wrote Dr. Mike. “Sure enough, Emmett had an older brother named Henry, who was credited with developing the famous screwdriver.”

“Over the decades, I have treated all sorts of patients, including some who were genuinely famous or had done some incredible things,” Dr. Mike wrote. “But Emmett Phillips remains a standout. Whether he invented it or not, he truly believed he had made the world a better place, one screw at a time.”

Dr. Mike’s book is filled with great gems like these, mostly from genuine medical practice: admissions, diagnoses, and patient interactions.

I laughed out loud when he relayed the experience of having to listen to a 16-year-old female patient’s heart using a stethoscope. Early on, he couldn’t detect a heartbeat, then realized the device was not inserted in his ears as he said “oops” and his face turned red with embarrassment.

You can find “Flatlines and Laugh Lines” online at Amazon as well as any Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Two years ago, Dr. Mike and his daughter, Nikki Lovejoy, published “Lists for a Great Life,” subtitled “The Fifth Most Important Book You’ll Ever Own.” It includes 108 comprehensive lists dealing with practical aspects of life, such as ways to reduce stress and anxiety, lose weight, get organized, control time and save money.

publisher@beachcomber.news