She was hoping to be back for the July book, but that is not happening. 

WLEX anchor Nancy Cox, who has been off the air since April for surgery to address debilitating back pain, got some good news from her surgeon.

"The x-rays look great," Cox said. "I'm healing right on schedule. The doctor couldn't be more happy with my progress.

"I got to see the full view of my back and what they did. It's very extensive. I have a lot of metal in my back, now."

Cox was hoping for an early July return to "LEX18 News," but she says it will actually be early August so she can spend more time in physical therapy addressing some balance and leg-strength issues.

"He feels the stress of going back to work in a stressful environment and working a full day would be too much," Cox said of her surgeon. "I have mixed feelings about that. I'm ready to go back to work, mentally. I'm ready to feel like I have a purpose again. But I was beginning to feel a little bit of that pressure that I wasn't going to be strong enough."

As for returning to the station in August. "It'll be back to Nancy's crazy schedule of 5, 5:30, 6 and 11," Cox says. "And I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it."

H/T Lexington Herald Leader