Well, I hadn't heard that one before, but after I went through all this, it wreaked havoc on my immune system. I'd always had some allergies, but they changed (or worsened) completely. When I was finally getting my diet back under control, I was trying to eat more salads to be healthier ... and started this trend while on a trip, just me and my son. And added more spinach. And guess who now turns out to be allergic to spinach, of all things? Yup. (We had my allergist confirm this as soon as we got back home, but two different salads, two different restaurants, two different nights was pretty convincing on its own. Thank goodness I travel with a ton of Benadryl. And my kid got a lesson in how to use 'antique' hotel telephones, LOL.) So it's definitely possible for treatment to cause allergy issues. Being so bad as to cause sensitivity in another person ... that's scary! Not exactly something they write in the fine print (which I remember reading pretty closely at the time). Are there medications or other precautions you can take to help you through this time? I'm glad you have hospice training ... that has got to be helpful in more ways than one. Maybe some of the other folks in your class will have tips on handling patients who shouldn't be touched? Might be ways you can help limit any chemical contamination?

If it helps you, the effects on you will hopefully wear off as soon as this is over. My kids, one of whom is extremely sensitive to chemicals and other allergies as well, cuddled me like crazy during our cancer season (within limits, due to the feeding tube being awkward), and they seemed to be okay. I know you can't compare one person's outcome with another's, but I hope it might help anyway. My son used to get the worst rashes from everything imaginable, even the mulch on the church playground ... thankfully he's past that, but still sensitive to stuff. I hope very much you find some physical as well as emotional relief!