Everything We Know About Dave Coulier's Health Issues

"Full House" star Dave Coulier does not want to hide his health issues. "I would rather talk about it and open the discussion and inspire people," he told "Today" host Hoda Kotb on November 13. Coulier, who played Joey Gladstone in the classic '90s sitcom, said he woke up one day with "a little bit of a head cold," and within five days, a lymphoma lump the size of a golf ball had grown in his groin. "I said, something's not right." The comic trusted his gut and rushed to the hospital.

His blood work came out well, but given the speed of the lymphoma's growth, his doctors insisted on doing PET and CT scans and a biopsy. Coulier then recalled his doctors saying, "We wish we had better news for you," before revealing he has B-cell lymphoma. A form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), Coulier's type of blood cancer develops in the lymphatic tissues, which are part of the immune system. Coulier was impatient to learn what stage his cancer was in, though, as the doctors initially only told him it was "aggressive." They performed a bone marrow test, too, and the results instilled hope in him and his loved ones, as it indicated the cancer had not spread. This means, Coulier told People, his "chances of curable went from something low to 90% range." And Coulier's holding onto that hope as he undergoes treatment.

While telling his story in multiple interviews, Dave Coulier didn't hold back from making jokes and emphasizing the importance of approaching his journey with a good attitude. "This is a journey, a bit of a battle, and you're going to need to be on your game. Keep doing what you're doing, keep laughing your way through life [...] and keep your friends and family close. You'll have a lot of love coming your way," he told "Today." Coulier's also maintaining this positive outlook, he told People, because of his wife and son, Luc, who's expecting his first child — and Coulier's  1.2 million Instagram followers are witnessing this positivity firsthand.

On November 15, he shared a picture of himself giving a thumbs up during his second chemotherapy appointment on his Instagram Story. He wrote, "Putting a positive spin and sending love to all of you who are battling and going through chemo. And remember to laugh." Days later, his "Full House" co-star, John Stamos, shared a carousel of images with Coulier, writing, "You're handling this with so much strength and positivity. [...] I know you're going to get through this, and I'm proud to stand with you every step of the way."

The "Full House" alum also shared that he went public with this journey to encourage others to get checked if they suspect they might have NHL. On his "Full House Rewind" podcast, Coulier said, "If my encouragement can lead you to get checked out by your doctor sooner than later [...] this little journey that I'm on is all going to be worth it, because there's a lot of things to live for, so many things for you to look forward to."