Yes, dh is a keeper.
He's usually so busy with work, even on the weekends, but we've learned to put certain "Christmas activities" on the calendar. This was one of them.
My dh was in the hospital a few days before Christmas when my oldest was a year old. It was unexpected and I was unprepared for Christmas. It was a wake up call. All I could think was "If this happened when my dd was 4 yrs. old and I had no presents for her, what kind of memory would that be? I learned a lot about myself that year. A few months later, I found the message boards over at OrganizedChristmas.com and did the Christmas Countdown plan that next Christmas.
If your dh does have surgery before Christmas, then what is important to
you for Christmas? What makes Christmas Christmas to you? If you can find some time to do those things, then do it. It will help make you feel like you didn't miss out on Christmas. Also, you'll want to loosen your expectations of what you should be doing and ask for help. Caring for a loved one takes a toll on the care giver. Let others take care of you too.
That year my dh was in the hospital, I asked my brothers to come over and help me put up an artificial tree that I stored from my single days. I
bought Christmas cookies and hot chocolate. We put on some Christmas music and decorated the tree. Then on Christmas, the dinner ended up being one of those boxed pre-cooked Christmas dinners that the grocery stores offer this time of the year.