That big ole painful stone is just a tiny spec in the screen. You should know it when you pass it. They are painful because if you see them under a microscope, they have sharp spines all over. After you pass it, the pain should diminish over time fairly quickly. I'm am not sure about the return-to-work times as they have been discharged from my care before then. I only get one segment of the whole picture. I'm just an RN. But we have a saying, "Be kind to the nurse as they are the only heart your doctor has."