Student Loans Suck!

Who has ever been totally screwed over by a student loan company?!  I mean, am I alone in this?!  I paid my student loan for 12 years and then had to re-write my mortgage to pay off the remaining balance.  Years go by, thinking all is finally resolved, and suddenly, out of the blue, a Collections Agency calls me today and claims that I still owe $14,000.00; $9,000 principle and $5,000 interest on an unpaid account that spans many years.  What kind of crap is that?!  No one contacts me for 4 years, and then suddenly this phantom debt occurs that includes $5,000 of compound interest?! Advice anyone?!  Has this ever happened to you?  How did you resolve the debt?!