As a Marine Corps veteran I find it very aggravating that by serving my time and having an honorable discharge I still have to jump through hoops to get any kind of care from any military institutions that are made to help the veterans. We have men and women that have served and given to their country that will never be repaid what they gave. I myself suffered injuries that are still plaguing me this 20 years later that I cant get resolved.
These places always give you some kind of excuse to keep you from getting what was promised to us as veterans.
The millions of dollars that come in to the veterans administrations angers me because where is it all going? The veterans are not being helped we can see that clearly. With the money they are making there should be not one veteran that is not getting proper medical care. Homelessness among veterans should be solved with the tiny home villages, disability for veterans should not be so hard. I came home with hip and knee issues and a nasty case of PTSD. I have for more than 10 years now to get some kind of help all without any assistance. I get told that my records were lost and thus I had to start all over. When I do get the smallest amount of assistance nothing is or very little is there. Only that I have began and been turned down. So tell me where do all the test, x-rays, appointments, diagnosis, and complaints gone that I have turned in over the past ten years gone?
My point is as veterans we have served our time and all we are asking is what we were promised. Help a veteran today. 
Your story is one of thousands brother. Many of the things you mentioned are exactly what has happened to other vets. They submit claims and hear nothing. Records get lost and filed incorrectly. It has been a mess! I feel confident though that things are going to change. Love or hate the Trump administration; they have rattled some cages and policies are changing. However, by the time the process gets to where it needs to be, many of our brothers AND sisters will have passed away or become so frustrated they simply fall off the radar. This is why veterans have to help other veterans. The first word of advise is to make copies of every record old and new. Everytime you go to the VA, before you leave the facility, go to personnel records and get a copy of what took place that day. Make it habit. So, next time they say they don't have a record of your appointment, you can pull it out of your file. I have battled injuries myself. It has been a process of healing that has lasted nearly 20 years...like you. Thank you for your service.