@Bruce Sorry to join this late, but I went through that whole thing a year and a half ago. Similar symptoms - pain so bad I had projectile vomiting then dry heaving, etc. - absolutely the worst pain I've ever been in and little to no relief. Even the good drugs just take the edge off.
First instance landed me in the ER on a Dilaudid drip, which made the pain a little less and I was pretty out of it. Next morning they had to go in the front door via catheter (laser lithotripsy) to remove it as it was 9mm and stuck in the ureter between the kidney and bladder. They broke it up, removed it, and inserted a stent which I kept for a month. There was another stone waiting, same size.
A month later, they removed the stent and did the shock wave treatment, which did not work and required a second stent for another four weeks. This time, the stent was unbearably painful - could not walk more than five feet without extreme pain.
Four weeks after placing it, they removed the second stent, did the laser procedure again, removed the pieces, and placed a third stent. You guessed it, four weeks and tons of pain later, the third stent was removed and it was all over.
All three stents were removed at he doctor's office, fully awake, with an audience. Talk about uncomfortable...the removal device looks like a large gun with a video screen on it, and involves a retractable metal claw. But it doesn't really hurt that much, it's just a very odd uncomfortable sensation and a little embarrassing. Nothing compared to the pain some feel from the stent (not everyone feels pain from stents, and my first stent was barely noticeable.)
Why am I telling you all this? The stent can be very painful, but may be necessary due to the location of the stone and the extent of the damage. I was told mine were necessary because the stone had inflamed the ureter and without it, the ureter might close up. But push back until you are comfortable with the risks and rewards of using one, if you end up needing it. They can be painful, so do some homework and ask lots of questions of your urologist.
As for the "after" part...the main triggers of stones are dehydration and high intake of protein and nuts in the absence of other foods. So if you like to have a good long drinking weekend, for goodness sake drink lots and lots and lots of water along with it. And if you aren't drinking alcohol, drink lots and lots and lots of water anyway.
In my case, there was an additional loss - the first stone was removed the first weekend of June, and the last stent came out just before Labor Day. Lost a whole boating season. Insult to injury. Good luck with your recovery. Hope it's quick and as painless as possible.
