This thirty-six year old claimant, a fry station operator for a fast food restaurant, is 5' 2" tall and has weighed 220 pounds for at least ten years. She now complains of right arm pain. She began working for this employer in June 2006 as a counter person taking orders and bagging food. She had no difficulties with her right arm in her work as a counter person.
The claimant then moved to the fry station. She worked the fry station for $11 / 2$ to 2 months before she began to experience problems with her right hand and arm. She testified she began to experience pain in the right ring finger up into the right forearm four to five inches below the elbow. She testified that her symptoms began with shooting pains from the palm of her hand up to the elbow and sometimes into the shoulder area.
The claimant testified she worked four to five hours daily with shifts from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. or 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On the days that the claimant arrived at 9:00 a.m., she did not begin working at the fry station. Her duties would include breaking down the hash brown station, cleaning up the area, and disposing of any unused hash browns. When the claimant worked the fry station, she normally worked the noon rush which included the hours of 11:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The claimant would begin her work at the fry station by retrieving boxes of frozen fries from the freezer. The claimant would lift the fry boxes with both hands and carry them to the fry station. The claimant estimated she would lift thirty to forty pounds. She then opened the frozen fry bags which contained four to five paper bags of fries with a plastic lining inside the bag. She opened the fry bags with both hands, and used both hands to pour the fries into a dispenser. The claimant testified that the dispenser held seven to eight bags at a time. She would continue to fill the dispenser throughout her shift, as needed.
The claimant would then use the dispenser to fill fry baskets. She described the fry baskets, including the handle portion, to be shorter than a yard stick. She would fill the fry basket and put them near the fryer to be used, as needed. The claimant stated she normally lifted the fry baskets into the fryer using her right hand. She stated she was not coordinated enough to use her left hand to perform this task. She would then drop the fry baskets in the grease and remove them when the fries were finished cooking. She then picked up the fry basket and dumped the fries into the "holdover" area and salted the fries. She then used a fry scooper to fill boxes of fries and set them in the holding area for purchase. She estimated she went through three baskets every thirty minutes during the lunch rush. For the portion of her shift when she was not at the fry station, she worked the cash register.
The claimant testified that after three weeks at the fry station, she noticed pain in the right ring finger which she described as a sharp pain in the center of the knuckle area. She then had gradual pain into the palm of her hand into her wrist and into her forearm. She described it as a tingling feeling with pain that would increase when grabbing things like the fry basket. She testified she asked to be removed from the fry station, and was advised by the supervisor that no other worker could perform the task as well.
The claimant initially sought treatment at St. Joseph's Health Center on October 19, 2006, and reported pain in the right elbow. See Exhibit A. The attending physician diagnosed tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, gave her a brace, and recommended physical therapy. See Exhibit A. However, she never attended due to the lack of funds.
Since leaving her position with this employer, the claimant's symptoms have not improved. She experiences tingling and pain at night. She has also sought additional treatment with a specialist in Columbia, Missouri, whose name she could not recall. She testified that the physician is primarily providing treatment for her right shoulder.
The claimant testified that she has difficulty tying her shoes and fastening her bra. She describes pain which goes up the right arm and into the shoulder. She testified her husband does most of the household chores. The claimant testified she drives for short distances, but the vibration of the wheel bothers her symptoms. In April 2008, she was diagnosed with diabetes.