Lordy this sounds familiar! Join the rubbish weirdy parents club, membership is bestowed not chosen but the other members tend to be jolly friendly and keen on talking about the weather (fog), and drinking gin, or sherry, or elderflower at a pinch!
I went through the dawning realization that my parents were utterly bonkers with my nice but damaged father keeping the collective lunacy that was my mother.
That realization that people just don't behave that way, and that other people's parents seem to do what they say and say what they do and never wrap their child up in knots. Other people's parents were less fragile, and somehow didn't collapse in dramatic hysterics when their children put a foot wrong. I wondered what it would be like to be in that family, where the house of cards doesn't come crashing down with every tiny offense or hiccup.
It took me ages to really believe it when therapists and friends pointed out the role I was forced to play - adult, parent and protector. I couldn't see it as I was so taken in by the insults and disappointment that happened all through my childhood, teenage years, and 20s... That I was soooo childish and selfish and cruel to my poor fragile, long suffering parents. Took a therapist to point out that I wasn't in the slightest bit immature and selfish, but I would never measure up to my parents ideal, as they wanted me a parent to them from age 6, so, wrong yardstick as it were. Made so much sense.
I remember the hysterics and oh yes, the ill defined health scare to 'win' which I'm afraid my mother pulled at the wrong time and slightly more of the drama and victim status she had planned on.
Note bene for all selfish hystrionic manipulative parents... You might not get the sympathy you crave (& deserve, I'm sure 
), if you choose a moment to twist the knife in, when your victim/ child is stretched a little too thin. The toothless child etc. I bit in a way I had no idea I could when she tried spouting her lying bile to get into the centre of attention and bring me to heel.
Like another poster has said, they don't get that they create these situations themselves, by behaving so badly it finally clicks a re-evaluation of past events and a determination to break the pattern.
It's strange they go too far, it's like they can't understand when backing off would keep them in power, yet they just can't see when they are pushing too far at the wrong moment and break the spell.
So, oh woe, turns out it's all about HER terribly high blood pressure which means she can't possibly be 'bothered' by errr, anyone else at all except her precious ickle self.
Ugh, the mincing pride in her voice when she said that the doctor said (GP, not consultant) that everyone needed to be terribly gentle and protect her as she could go at 'any time' if anyone upset her.
Absolute bollocks. Laughable 'competitive' illness with conveniently no symptoms but the threat of imminent death if anyone dares expect her to behave like an actual adult.
It's actually brilliant as where I suspect medical advice, if there was any, would be about controlling her own emotions and managing her own reactions (plus medications etc)... But for someone who's incapable of taking responsibility for anything, it's translated as another weapon to give her chosen victims the responsibility not only for her emotions, but her very life.
At what point would she look inwards for answers and responsibility? Probably never, now. Which makes the lifetime of jumping through hoops for her rather sad, but the never ending sacrifice will never ever be enough :(
For the first time ever she was shocked into silence when I pissed myself laughing and said 'wow, congratulations mother, you must be delighted' when she pulled that one on me.
I think she may have tried to follow it up with another dire warning as I was being such a callous meanie... and I just talked over her saying 'oh yes, I'm sure that's the case, what a perfect problem for you to have, now you don't even have to pretend you're not controlling everyone. Jolly good. Well done. I'm not interested thanks'
And when she continued to push it, I said 'yes mother, very good, but you already blame me for everything, so there's nothing I can do differently is there? I'll just carry on the same thank you'
Left her utterly speechless. Just that once.
I know you can't really win against this stuff, but it did for a second make me feel free. :)