5 mm. kidney stone that has been sitting at the top of the ureter for 9 days. urologist recommends lithotripsy. reasonable or useless to tough it out?

Reasonable : That size stone should respond well. If the stone is blocking the flow of urine then this will help .

Should pass without : need for intervention. Also depends upon symptoms. You have had multiple stones in past & presumably passed most or all. Worth active intervention to remove ureteroscopically or have stent placed if UR in pain. This is very small stone & certainly too small for extra-corporal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Hope you have had metabolic work-up for stones!