title: The Girl, the Star and the Spider: A Fairy Tale for Grownups Dealing with Alzheimer's and Similar Dementias
author:  Sherry Van Atta Smelley 
description: Sherry Van Atta Smelley, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, BACS has been working with serious and life-threatening illness, grief and loss for over 25 years. She has worked in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, out-patient clinics and private practice. In her practice she provides individual and couples counseling and is a Board Approved Clinical Supervisor. Since 2002 Sherry has been an adjunct faculty member at Louisiana State University teaching in both graduate and undergraduate programs in the School of Social Work. It was at LSU that she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Social Work. Sherry is recognized as a diplomate in Clinical Social Work by the Academy of Certified Social Worker, the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists and is a member of the National Association of Social Work. Throughout the years, she has presented at numerous conferences, trainings, and workshops. Most recently, after her mother's long journey with Alzheimer's Disease and subsequent death, Sherry has written a book, The Girl, the Star, and the Spider, and has made it available in hopes that it will bring comfort to others as it has to her.
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  **Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv[erter,
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  Warning:
  
  
  The following material contains sexual content meant for mature readers.
  “DEMENTIA” has been rated NC-17, erotic, by two individual reviewers. We
  strongly suggest storing this electronic book in a place where young readers
  not meant to view it are unlikely to happen upon it. That said, enjoy…
  
  
  ## Chapter 1
  
  
  The highlander jungle of planet Dementia
  
  
  Star system of the third dimension
  
  
  
  
  
  Her friends called her the Schemer, or Scheme for short, for she had always
  been well known for her ability to get out of tight situations. But as she ran
  through the dense Dementian jungle panting for air, her heartbeat drumming
  like mad against her chest, Delores Ellison was afraid that, for the very
  first time in her twenty-nine years, she had gotten herself into a situation
  there was no squeezing out of.
  
  
  Her father had always said she was too