Before I had my surgery, I was very emotional and worried whether or not I was making the right decision. I too, was worried about dying, which I imagine is pretty normal to worry about before having any surgery!
What helped me to feel a little better was to realize that there are many things in our normal everyday life that we could get seriously injured or die from. Like driving to the grocery store for instance! Life is full of risks, and you just have to be careful in what you do. I was scared of flying, then I realized that you have a larger chance of crashing in your car than the airplane!
I decided to have my surgery in Mexico because I was sick and tired of sitting on the sidelines, as you mentioned, and I didn't want to wait any longer. After doing some reasearch, I chose Dr. Arturro Rodriguez in Monterrey Mexico. Once I got there I was treated like royalty. I stayed in a 5 star hotel: Quinta Real, which was included in the fee, and they took care of the transportation to and from the airport and to and from the hospital. I can call my doctor, directly, any time day or night and any one of his staff too. I have the Swedish lapband, and YES, I've found doctors here in the the States that will do the aftercare on the Swedish band as wells as the Inamed. Although the Swedish band isn't FDA approved here - yet - doctors ARE permitted to treat anyone with the Swedish lapband it just depends on whether that particular doctor chooses to or not. Maybe you could post where you live and we could give you some doctors to contact so you can get more information regarding the aftercare in your area.
Keep your chin up. This is a very big decision you're making!
((HUGS))
Anne
banded 5/15/06
Dr. Arturro Rodriguez
Monterrey, Mexico