MORE Claim Delays

Wow! It's hard to believe, but my claim hs been delayed again! I called them two weeks ago, asking for an update. She (same lady) told me that they did not receive any response again from the places they asked for a records check. Are these done thru official channels? Why are they ignored? It's unbelievable! Now she says they have to resend another request, and keep doing it until they get a response. Does this sound like something I may have typed on the previous page? Well, it is. It's the same thing all over again. It's the fourth time. Just a repetitive cycle. Doesn't it seem alot easier to just call and ask them to do a check, then send a follow up report to make it official? I guess that's way too much common sense. I spent twenty years in the military, and another seven years as a contractor, and I have never seen so much stalling and lack of any caring to complete something. I think they are worried about paying me all that back pay. It doesn't look good on their yearly report when they have to dish out a big check because it took them over ten years to complete a claim. So, the easiest thing is to keep saying no to my claims in the hopes that I die or just quit. That ain't gonna happen! (The quitting part!)
I may have mentioned that I have already gotten the VA IG involved, as well as many others, but it doesn't seem to have had any effect at all. Let's see! A quick recap. I was injured while on active duty on five separate occasions. It was well documented in my medical files. Oh wait! That's right! They LOST my records. Very convenient. Not for me though. Hindsight is 20-20 and if I knew that this was going to happen to me, I would have made a copy of all my records when I retired. Oh, wait! I DID  make a copy! But those copies were used when I originally filed in 2007, and also do not exist amy more.
So, basically, I should have been drawing benefits for the past ten years, but have gotten nothing. I should not have had to work in huge pain for ten years, but I have had to. Wah-wah. I'm not crying about it. I'm just stating the facts. But I'm pretty sure that not many people would have been able to do it like I have. Not bragging; just stating the facts. Another fact I should stress is that I have constantly given them answers to any questions they have asked; except one. Evidence. I can't produce evidence when it was lost. I have tried to stay in touch with their office, but 9 out of 10 phone calls are not even answered. And they have no email address. How can you get anything done when you don't bother to answer the phone, or can't reply to any emails? Is this a real business office? I have my doubts.
When I was a contractor, going to numerous meetings, and working out schedules and conflicts, I found out one thing very quickly. The fastest way to get things done is face-to-face. Then neither side can make excuses or run away. I have requested a face-to-face meeting on five separate occasions. They say it can't happen right now until they decide if I am approved or not. What kind of sense does that make? I won't need any face-to-face after they have already decided. It's too late then. They say that my own personal account is not enough evidence. I can understand that, even if it's insulting.
As I have mentioned, once they decide if I'm approved or not, then I have to go get a physical exam so they can tell me the extent of my injuries, and thus, put a number or percentage on it. Well, I hope if that happens, it's going to be a very good doctor, because he will have to be able to tell the extent of my injuries, on some of them, fifteen to twenty years ago! I'm sure he will have a fairly rough idea. But obviously what he decides happened before and what built up afterwards will directly affect my benefits. That's if it even gets that far. Right now it doesn't look good.
The whole thing seems unreal. It sometimes seems like it's happening to someone else, but the ugly reality is, it's me. My real actual fear is that nothing will happen before I'm gone for good, and I will not be able to give my family anything. The swollen muscles in my lower back and my left shoulder have never gone away, and get more painful every month. But that's my problems. I hope, if you're seeking benefits for injuries suffered while on active duty, that you do not go thru what I am going thru.
I hope my continuing saga comes to an end soon, either way. To all of you veterans out there who are about to retire, please learn from me and make copies of everything! Even if you don't think you will ever use it, make copies anyway. Even if you're not retiring, and just getting out, you may need them later. It may save you a huge amount of hardship later on.

(I posted an update to this on the previosu page, and you may have already seen it!)