Got my 25mm stone out, RIRS is done

Went through my RIRS procedure yesterday for kidney stones and they placed a DJ stent, so I'm looking for recovery advice and other people's experiences.

The surgery itself went fine and I’m recovering at home right now. The doctor mentioned there’s still some leftover “stone dust” in there that should pass on its own over time, and I’ve been told to keep hydrated, walk around, and even do a bit of light jumping/skipping to help flush it out.

What’s bothering me the most at the moment is the stent discomfort and the pain when urinating.

Every single time I urinate I can literally feel pain shooting up toward the kidney side where the stent sits. There’s also burning while peeing, and once I’m done it feels like pressure or irritation around the kidney/ureter area. The stent itself is extremely annoying — almost like there’s something wedged inside my kidney around the clock.

No fever so far, but the discomfort is definitely messing with my sleep and how I move around.

My doctor wants me to keep the stent in for 3 weeks, which honestly feels like forever given how uncomfortable it already is.

I wanted to ask this community:

* Is this much pain/burning when urinating normal after RIRS with a stent in? * Does the kidney pain while urinating get better as time goes on? * What made your own recovery smoother while the stent was still in? * Any foods/drinks/activities that made it better or worse for you? * How did you get yourself ready mentally and physically for the stent removal? * Is getting the stent out very painful, or more uncomfortable than actually painful? * Any tips for making these next 3 weeks easier to get through?

I’d really appreciate hearing genuine experiences from anyone who’s been through this :)