I'm married to a U.s citizen and need help

[juan77]

First let me start off by saying that i've been in the U.S for about 21yrs. My mother pettitioned for me in 1983, but never became a citizen. I was in the process for residency,i had a work authorization permit,and all i had to do was wait for my appointment, which would have taken anywhere from 2 to 10 yrs or more.My work authorization permit expired when i had started living with my wife. When i reapplied I entered our information with the application and they denied it. They told me I had to start all over as if I had just arrived here. My wife and i are married and she was born here,so I am seeking advice on how to apply for citizenship if i already had a work authorization number but i lost the information. Thank you for every reply>