In late 2022, Rev. Joe Stobaugh just wasn’t feeling like himself. At age 44, he thought his low energy and slight weight gain could likely be chalked up to the stress of his job, needing to be a bit more active, and improving his diet. But thanks to his annual HealthFlex Blueprint for Wellness screening —and an attentive doctor—early diagnosis of stage 3 colon cancer helped save his life. The Blueprint for Wellness measures 25 key health indicators—including blood glucose, cholesterol and hemoglobin A1C—that provide valuable information about several common health risks, such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroid function and more.

Rev. Dr. Joe Stobaugh with wife, Sarah, and their children Ellie and Sam at his ordination at the 2025 Horizon Texas Annual Conference.

“I’ve done the Blueprint for Wellness screening for years now,” Rev. Joe shared. “The Blueprint helps me to compare my numbers year over year, allowing me to see improvements and where I need to do better. I’m also thankful for the gracious financial incentive ($100 in Personify Health rewards).”

After completing his annual screening and reviewing the results with his doctor, Rev. Joe’s doctor suggested he might be anemic from a tear in his colon and ordered a colonoscopy to confirm. The results were not at all what Rev. Joe or his doctor expected.

“We do the colonoscopy, and the first words I heard from the doctor in the recovery room were, ‘We’ve got a problem. You have colon cancer,’” recalls Rev. Joe. “The tumor was in a strange place, which is becoming more and more the case for people under 50 who are diagnosed with colon cancer. It was a tough surgery that took about 7.5 hours—they took out 18 inches of my colon.”

According to Rev. Joe’s oncologist, he was lucky he had done the initial bloodwork and that his doctor had ordered the colonoscopy. “He said that if we had waited four to six months, it would have been stage 4 and we’d be having a very different conversation.”

After the surgery and chemotherapy, Rev. Joe’s doctors now report there is no evidence of cancer. He’s doing well, especially with the support of his community.

“I've always appreciated the Blueprint for Wellness because it gives me a chance every year to look back at the previous years and see where I need to get a little bit better,” said Rev. Joe. “But in this case, the Blueprint for Wellness—and having a smart, proactive doctor—saved my life. And I continue to be grateful, nearly three years after the diagnosis, to be living a wonderfully full, cancer-free life!”

Additional Articles from July 2025 Vol. 10 Issue 3