Health

Rachael Ray's Surgery Called Off – for Now

By Liza Hamm

Monday December 15, 2008 12:15 PM EST

Rachael Ray

Scott Gries/Getty

• Facebook
• Tweet

It won't be a quiet holiday season for Rachael Ray after all. The Emmy winning talk show host, known her for gift of gab, will not have surgery on her vocal cords this week as had been scheduled

"During the course of normal pre-op care, Rachael started an intensive new vocal therapy and it is now the opinion of her doctor that surgery may not be necessary," Charlie Dougiello, a spokesman for Ray, tells PEOPLE.

Last month, Ray told PEOPLE that she planned to carry a pencil and paper around to communicate with husband John Cusimano after undergoing surgery to remove a benign cyst on her vocal cord.

Now there's no need for the TV chef to buy extra pencils – or curtail her chattiness.

"Rachael is very grateful that it won't be a silent Christmas and thanks everyone for their prayers and well wishes," adds Dougiello.

RELATED ARTICLES:
• Rachael shares her beauty foods!
• 2007: Rachael takes off, with a little help from Oprah