Donna first let me commend you and family for all the frustration that you are going through. We went through a similiar experience with my grandmother. I think she felt that she had to complain non stop about something to get attention, to my mother and I. She seemed thoughtless at times. My mother would tell her days in advance when she was going shopping (nearest stores were 1/2 hour away) and ask her to make a list. No she didn't need a thing, until the next day and she needed whatever right now!

Her son, my uncle is three years older than I and the apple of her eye. She would be on death's door she couldn't breath, she was so dizzy she couldn't see straight, until he walked through the door (which I might add he did not do very frequently). Suddenly she was "a little under the weather" but fine. The meal that she couldn't possibly choke down 5 minutes before, she would sit and eat every scrap when he was there.

She also could not read nor watch tv, because her memory was bad. She had no retension. She didn't like to admit it and would hide it as much as she could.

I do not believe she was "faking". I think it was all true in her mind. She really did feel bad. The odd thing was, when she really did get sick, she hid the symptoms from everyone.

I know this doesn't help. But I understand your frustration and wish you the very best of luck. I had my uncle to call when I absolutely had enough and could not take another moment. Venting helps, when I had to stay with her after minor surgery several years before she died I had a friend I called everynight to unload to, without her I think I would have snapped.