I feel your pain. I had a C&P done in September 2012 for a "Service Connected" Lumbar Strain increase due to the fact that VA Clinic MRI showed 2 hurniated disk and DDD. I have had several flare ups and severe back and leg pain (sciatica).
I recently logged on to ebenefits to check on the status of the claim and it has not moved from the gathering evidence phase. The site list the documents (I sent) that were received but it also shows that they are waitng for documents from "I don't know where". This is amazingly frustrating!
I am SC for lumbar strain and have many instances of treatment for it in my military medical record. As soon as the condition became worse, I went to the VA for treatment and MRI. The VA has the treatment records, the MRI records, and all the appointment results, including the C&P. I have no idea how I could have made this any easier for the decison makers at the VA. And, to add insult to injury, the ebenefits site shows no forward progress in my case.
So SueEdel I guess we wait....