WPC! ;# JUNU % 0U:4  0DKw@S 0? 0D  0J 0T`  z @  0^ 0h* 0r 0| 0 AQW 0 0@4 Bt 0 D/! 1uP B D3 0dU>yU *U*B) DC4 AMwv~MvHP LaserJet 4 PlusHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLH(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(H=$  HTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalTX_XXX7XXdXXd7,  AZ"Arial RegularGS$ 3|x&H($$   1   &&&V& &D&D&Ӏ&&&((37$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TX8XXX7 XXdd7   `   0  (#$  0  2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  ԁLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 52, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  !"# &C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(30$ H=!  HTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'TX8XXX7 XXdd7  ("$     d2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23  ((' dxd% ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P Pd$$$$'dxdP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(&Times New Roman<  9p`(Arial<  9p`(Times% Line 7 d44447Border 1dd!#5C << G  !  #d#1    H \RA'\2#d#  ""  2   YYY FILED2XApril22,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#1    H \RA'\2#d#  ""  2   YYY FILED2XApril22,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . 1    H \RA'\2#33Xd##33Xd#      ӛ @ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE!ٜR675A1-j|I:` . `@Rߛ@ SPECIALWORKERS'COMPENSATIONAPPEALSPANEL@ ATNASHVILLE   ӜMARGARETHENRY,   )       ) PUTNAMCIRCUIT Plaintiff/Appellant   )       ) NO.01S019707CV00150v.      )       ) HON.JOHNA.TURNBULL,CEDARCREEKHOMEHEALTH ) JUDGEAGENCY,alsoknownasELK  )VALLEYHOMEHEALTHCARE  )AGENCY,INC.,    )      ) Defendant/Appellee  ) FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee: WilliamA.Cameron   LaneMooreCameronandChaffin   DanielH.Rader,III100SouthJeffersonAvenue  Moore,Rader,CliftandFitzpatrick,P.C.Cookeville,TN38501   46NorthJeffersonAvenue        P.O.Box3347        Cookeville,TN38502  MEMORANDUMOPINION MembersofPanel: JusticeFrankF.Drowota,IIISeniorJudgeJohnK.ByersSpecialJudgeWilliamS.Russell  AFFIRMED       BYERS,SeniorJudge   OPINION    Thisworkers'compensationappealhasbeenreferredtotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPaneloftheSupremeCourtinaccordancewithTenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(3)forhearingandreportingtotheSupremeCourtoffindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw. Reviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtisdenovoupontherecordofthetrialcourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefindings,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.CodeAnn.506225(e)(2).Stonev.CityofMcMinnville,896S.W.2d548,550(Tenn.1995).TheapplicationofthisstandardrequiresthisCourttoweighinmoredepththefactualfindingsandconclusionsofthetrialcourtinaworkerscompensationcase.SeeCorcoranv.FosterAutoGMC,Inc.,746S.W.2d452,456(Tenn.1988). Thetrialjudgedismissedtheplaintiffscaseandheldtherewasnoevidencethattwovaginalprolapsessufferedbytheplaintiffwerecausedbyherwork. Weaffirmthejudgment.  FACTS    Atthetimeoftrial,theplaintiffhadbeenmarriedfor31years,hadfourchildreninthespaceofapproximatelyfouryears,hadatuballigationin1974,andhadapartialhysterectomyin1978.Theplaintiffsemploymenthistoryincludesfactoryworkandworkingasacertifiednursingtechnicianintwodifferentnursinghomes. Priortoworkingforthedefendant,theplaintiffworkedforSunnyPointNursingHomeasacertifiednursingtechnician,ajobthatrequiredheavylifting.In1992,whileworkingforSunnyPoint,theplaintiffdevelopedherfirstvaginalprolapseandunderwentsurgery,performedbyaDr.McGruderin1993,toremoveabaseballsizemasswhichprotrudedfromhervagina.Aftersurgery,theplaintiffcontinuedtoworkforSunnyPointwithoutanyrestrictionsandcontinuedtodohernormalhouseworkandotheractivities.Theplaintiffdidnotseekorreceiveworkerscompensationbenefitsforherfirstvaginalprolapse. Beginninginthefallof1993,theplaintiffwenttoworkforthedefendantasacertifiednursingtechniciandoinghomedutynursing.Inthiscapacity,shebathedpatients,cookedlightmeals,didlighthousework,andcaredforthepatientsdailyneeds.OnMay28,1994,theplaintiffwasassistinganobesepatientintothebathtubwhenhefell,placinghisfullweightonher.Theplaintifftestifiedthatsheimmediatelynoticedpressureandapullingsensationinherabdominalareaandfeltsymptomsexactlylikeshehadexperiencedwithherfirstvaginalprolapse.TheplaintiffreportedthisinjurytothedefendantsDirectorofNursing,butshecontinuedtoworkanddidnotseekmedicalcareuntilSeptember1994becausethepainwasnotsevere. DuringtheintervalbetweenMayandSeptember1994,theplaintiffperformedherworkdutiesandpersonalactivitieswithoutanyrestrictions.OnaSaturdaymorninginSeptember1994,theplaintiffwokeuphurtinginherlowerstomach.ShereportedtotheDirectorofNursingthatthepainhadbecomeintenseenoughtoseeherfamilydoctor,whomshesawthenextMonday.Thedefendantinformedtheplaintiffthathermedicalcarewouldnotbesetupasaworkrelatedinjuryunlessshehadadoctorsstatementthattheinjurywasabsolutelycausedbytheliftingincidentatwork. TheplaintiffsfamilydoctorreferredhertoaDr.Goode,agynecologistwhoperformedhersecondvaginalprolapsesurgeryonOctober6,1994andreleasedhertoworkwithrestrictionsinNovember1994.Theplaintifftriedtoreturntoworkforthedefendant,butshewastoldtherewasnoworkavailablewithinherrestrictions.TheplaintiffslastdayofworkforthedefendantwasSeptember19,1994. BetweenNovemberandDecember1994,theplaintiffagaindevelopedpressureinherstomach,testifyingthatitfeltlikesomethinghadcomeloose.OnaSaturdaymorninginDecember1994,theplaintifftestifiedthatshewokeupwithseverepaininherstomach.Shealsotestifiedthatshehadbeendoinghouseworkandvacuumingthenightbefore.OnJanuary3,1995,theplaintiffunderwentathirdsurgerybyDr.Goodethistimeaurethralprolapseforurinarystressincontinency.Theplaintifftestifiedthatshehashaddifficultygettingoverthethirdoperationandthatshehasnotworkedanywherebecauseshewasrestrictedfromliftingatallandfromstandingforlongperiods.  Afterthethirdsurgery,theplaintiffagaindevelopedpressureinherstomachandsoughtmedicalcarefromaDr.Pickett,whotreatedherforabladderinfectionbecausehedidnotfeelthataprolapsehadreoccurred.Theplaintiffseeksworkerscompensationbenefitsfromthedefendantforhersecondandthirdvaginalprolapsesurgeries,claimingthatherinjurieswerecausedbytheliftingincidentatworkinMay1994.  MEDICALTESTIMONY    Dr.WalterDerryberry,agynecologist,testifiedbydeposition.Dr.Derryberryreviewedtheplaintiffshistoryofthethreesurgeriesandtheliftingincidentatwork.HealsoexaminedheronetimeonJanuary16,1996andfoundamildurethralprolapseandawellsuspendedvaginalvault.Inlayterms,Dr.DerryberrytestifiedthattheplaintiffsconditioninSeptember1994wasthatherbladderfellandtherectumbulgedforwardintohervaginawhichcausedthevaginalwalltoprolapseoutsideofherbody.Hestatedthatthisconditioncanoccurparticularlyifthepersondoesalotoflifting,includinghousework.Healsotestifiedthatanyliftingbytheplaintiff,especiallytheliftingincidentofMay1994,wouldhavebeenanaggravatingfactorincausingherconditionandtherecurrentprolapses.Further,hestatedthattheplaintiffsvaginalproblemswerecumulativeandnotlinkedtoonesingleepisode.Dr.Derryberryopinedthattheplaintiffsustainedatenpercentpermanentpartialimpairmenttothebodyasawholeandadvisedhernevertoliftovertenpoundsandnevertodoanythingbutadeskjobinthefuture.Dr.Derryberryalsostatedthattheplaintiffsrestrictionsandpermanentimpairmentratingwouldhavebeenthesameafterherfirstvaginalprolapsesurgery(beforethedefendanthiredher).  ANALYSIS    TheevidenceinthiscasewaspresentedbythedepositionofDr.Derryberryandtheoraltestimonyoftheplaintiff.ThebasicthrustofDr.Derryberrystestimonyisthattheworkoftheplaintiffdidnotcausetheprolapsesforwhichtheplaintiffseekscompensation.Atbest,Dr.Derryberrystestimonyisthatmanythingscancausetheproblemtomanifestitself,includingliftingathome,butthatthenormalcauseofaprolapseisbecausesomepeoplesphysicalconditionpredisposesthemtohavethisoccur. Theplaintifftestifiedtheprolapsesforwhichsheseekscompensationwerecausedbyhavingtodoheavyliftingatwork.Theplaintiffconcededshehaddonehouseworkathomepriortotheoccurrenceofthethirdprolapse. Wefindtheevidenceinthiscasedoesnotpreponderateagainstthefindingofthetrialjudgeandweaffirmthejudgment. Thecostofthisappealistaxedtotheplaintiff.%        _____________________________      JohnK.Byers,SeniorJudgeCONCUR:________________________________FrankF.Drowota,III,Justice________________________________WilliamS.Russell,SpecialJudge̜    2@ INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE@ ATNASHVILLEMARGARETHENRY,   } PUTNAMCIRCUIT      } No.NJ5756Below Plaintiff/Appellant  }      } Hon.JohnA.Turnbull,vs.      } ChancellorJ68;+'b|3` . `@J      }CEDARCREEKHOMEHEALTH }AGENCY,alsoknownasELK }VALLEYHOMEHEALTHCARE }AGENCY,INC.,    } No.01S019707CV00150      } Defendant/Appellee  } AFFIRMED.@ JUDGMENTORDER  ThiscaseisbeforetheCourtupontheentirerecord,includingtheorderofreferraltotheSpecialWorkers'CompensationAppealsPanel,andthePanel'sMemorandumOpinionsettingforthitsfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw,whichareincorporatedhereinbyreference.  Whereupon,itappearstotheCourtthattheMemorandumOpinionofthePanelshouldbeacceptedandapproved;and  Itis,therefore,orderedthatthePanel'sfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawareadoptedandaffirmed,andthedecisionofthePanelismadethejudgmentoftheCourt. ` ` X  CostswillbepaidbyPlaintiff/AppellantandSurety,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  ITISSOORDEREDonApril22,1998.       PERCURIAM2Xԛ