Chayote

Can't wait to try my own chayote- which I just bought for .49 at Shoppers.

Difficulty Handling Chayotes
"Was trying to cook chayotes for the first time last night and began peeling this green veggie-fruit. While grasping the thing in my left hand and paring with the right, it sweated a sticky sap on my hand. Within moments I noticed a tingling sensation. I stopped, rinsed my left hand, noting a particular sqeakiness, then resumed with a plastic glove -- to no avail however, for the tingling persisted into a numbness and my skin began feeling very tight. Being on the prissier side, I completely stopped, washed my hands several times with different soaps, then anointed copious lotions and oils. With no change but not wanting to further delay grub-prep, I continued dinner while my bf searched his med text for possible explanations or hazards. Nothing. Later when the sensations stopped my skin was cracked, peeling and scaly. By this morning all the symptoms were gone, but the beast had effectively removed at least one layer of skin.

The cooked chayotes by the way were delicious and homey. I have had them previously only in Mexican soups and did not realize their natural sweetness. Similar taste to Taiwanese/Vietnamese okra.

Was this an isolated experience? Are there any neutralizers? Is there a method in preparation? Should I stop experimenting with foods I randomly choose in the supermarkets because they're on sale?"