The first sentence is taken from Anne Tyler’s novel, Back When We Were Grown Ups.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person. Or at least for a time she believed that she had. It was quite by accident that Constance had tripped down an escalator and by the time she reached the bottom she was no longer herself. An ambulance was called and they rushed her to hospital though all the while she was completely unconscious. After the usual blood tests, MRI and CAT scans she was taken to the operating room. 

Twenty two days, eight hours and seventeen minutes later she finally awoke. Surveying the room she could not determine where she was. There was a strong smell of bleach and everything was white. Was this a hospital? She found she could not move though by stretching her fingers she could reach the button to call the nurse.

A large, round, middle-aged woman entered. She was plump with a red face that made her look as if she’d just run a marathon. As she approached Constance realised she was actually much younger than she’d thought. ‘Hello dearie! I’m Emily. How you feeling?’ She spoke with a Yorkshire accent. ‘You had us worried for the while. Me and the other nurses been taking it in turns to come and sit with you. I came yesterday and sat with you while I did some crotchet. Do you like crotchet?’ Constance was finding her manner thoroughly irritating but her throat was too dry for her to speak. She indicated that she would like some water. ‘Oh of course. How silly of me!’ She wobbled over to get the jug and yet continued to blabber on, waving the jug around in her hand as she spoke. ‘The doctor should be in soon and will come and check on you.’ ‘I bet you won’t believe how long you’ve been asleep! Oh I wish I had the luxury to stay in bed all day! Much nicer than working long 20 hour shifts especially when the weather’s been so lovely. There’s been a hose pipe ban on recently so my lovely petunias have been wilting a little. You like to garden? Everyone tells me I’ve got green fingers…’ She continued on in this manner till she was called to the nurse’s station.

‘Thank god’, thought Constance. ‘Will somebody just tell me what has happened to me. And why does the name on my wristband say ‘Constance Billiard’? They must have made a mistake. My name is…’ But it was at this point that Constance stopped for she had no idea what her name was.