Nearly two months after Mauricio Scott was diagnosed with Alpha-Gal syndrome, Alex Drummond has a very encouraging update on her husband: He ate steak again. Steak! On the ranch! Without the same debilitating stomach pain that started this whole saga.
If you’ve been following along, this is a pretty big development. Mauricio’s diagnosis came in June after a burger, steak tacos, and brisket at Alex’s baby sprinkle all led to the same “terrible burning stomach pain” about two hours later. Bloodwork confirmed Alpha-Gal, a potentially serious allergy associated with tick bites, which meant that beef, pork, and other mammal meats were suddenly off the table. Poor Mauricio. This is a man who immediately began mourning the steak bites at Pawhuska’s 4th of July celebration.
Fast-forward to last Friday, when Alex and Mauricio drove to Tulsa to try an acupuncture treatment with Ginger Spencer before heading to the ranch for the weekend. “Mauricio is doing his acupuncture treatment today!!!” Alex wrote on Instagram beforehand. “🤞🤞🤞🤞 hoping it helps!”
Afterward, Mauricio shared a little recap from the car. He explained that the treatment involved needles placed in his ears along with electrical stimulation, and Alex and Mauricio left Tulsa feeling hopeful—but very aware that they wouldn’t know much until they tried introducing beef again. And so began what Alex affectionately called their “science experiment.”
That evening at the ranch, they bought steak and kept the first test extremely small: three bites, spaced 15 minutes apart, cooked with just olive oil and no seasoning. (“Really bringing y’all along on this journey w us,” Alex joked.) A few hours later, Mauricio’s stomach felt a little strange, Alex reported, but he wasn’t experiencing the distinct burning pain he’d had after eating meat before.
By the next morning: “He survived the night!! No burning stomach pain 🙏.” They kept going cautiously over the weekend. In an Instagram Q&A Monday night, Alex said Mauricio tried beef again Friday and experienced some mild stomach pain that didn’t last long. The next night? “He had half a filet on Saturday night and had zero pain!!!” she wrote. “Hasn’t had beef since then but we are hopeful to keep trying!!”
That is obviously very happy news in the family where steak is considered a main food group! But Alex was also careful to clarify what they do and don’t know yet.
“We can’t say for sure yet if it’s ‘successful,’ from my understanding there is no curing Alpha Gal but you can significantly reduce the effects,” she explained when someone asked whether it had worked. “So far in our book it has been a success because he’s been able to eat meat without debilitating pain! We’ll see how it continues to go!!”
That distinction is important. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says there is currently no established cure or treatment for Alpha-Gal syndrome. The CDC recommends managing it by avoiding individual triggers, preventing additional tick bites, and working with an allergist or other healthcare provider; whether someone can safely reintroduce foods containing alpha-gal is an individualized medical decision.
So, this is not a steak-eating how-to! It’s simply one encouraging update from Alex and Mauricio as they figure out what works for him with professional guidance. Anyone dealing with Alpha-Gal should do their own research and talk with their healthcare provider before making changes.
For now, Mauricio has made it through half a filet without that awful burning pain. After a summer of turkey burgers and ground turkey tacos, we’d say that’s worth being cautiously excited about. And, as always: Check for ticks, friends!
