I think you're right about the smoothness, RK. I didn't catch the first one in NYC but I saw it and it was a lot more jagged looking, even the overall shape was pointy. I bled a lot when passing that one but didn't bleed at all with this one. In fact, it surprised me when I caught it in the strainer as I expected my urine to at least turn darker before passing it.

I'm not sure about diet yet. I'm going to have this stone tested to see what kind it is and take it from there. My daily diet is low on salt (except regular Costco sardines and cottage cheese) while heavy on protein, with some fat and natural sugars/simple carbs. It seems the foods to avoid are many of the same ones listed in articles on men's health and performance (spinach, almonds, sweet potatoes, etc.), the staple of my everyday diet. Maybe I've been taking it too far (I can be obsessive) but I agree that getting enough water regularly is most important and I can do a lot better with that.

I thought I'd go through life without needing a urologist and now I'm not sure. The E.R. Dr. was recommending that I see one, I'll see what my GP says. Some other oddities on the CT Scan to discuss but apparently nothing of major concern.