Actor Dave Coulier, best known for playing Uncle Joey in the hit TV series Full House, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a ‘very aggressive’ form of cancer. The actor revealed on the Today Show on Wednesday that he has stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Coulier said he first discovered symptoms several months ago when he got a cold and then found a large lump in his groin.
“It swelled up immediately,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘Wow, I’m either really sick or my body’s really reacting to something.’” He was diagnosed just five weeks ago.
“The first thing I said to them was, ‘Wait a minute – cancer?’” he said. “(I was) feeling like I got punched in the stomach because it never happens to you. You always hear about it happening to someone else.”
‘First round of chemo was intense’
The actor revealed that he started undergoing rounds of chemotherapy two weeks ago. The actor has six rounds of chemotherapy every three weeks and is expected to wrap up treatment by February.
“You hear chemo, and it scares the daylights out of you,” he said. “The first round was pretty intense because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how you’re going to feel. Is this going to hit me immediately? Is it going to be devastating? Am I going to walk out of here?”
Describing treatment as “a bit of a roller coaster,” he said, “There are days where I feel unbelievable. Then there’s other days where… I’m just going to lay down and let this be what it will be.”
“Some days are nauseous and dizzy, and then there’s other days where the steroids kick in, and I feel like I have a ton of energy,” he added. “I actually skated yesterday with some friends here in Detroit. We just went and skated around and shot pucks, and it was wonderful just to be out there doing something that I love and just trying to stay focused on all the great stuff that I have in my life.”
Wife’s support
The actor praised his wife Melissa Bring Coulier for helping him in organising his ‘entire life’. She organised (his) entire life, from nutrition to the doctor’s appointments to pills.”
“She’s got stuff colour-coded. It’s pretty great,” he said. Bring Coulier is Coulier’s second wife, whom he married in 2014. He was previously married to actor and model Jayne Modean, with whom he shares 33-year-old son Luc.
Coulier is best known for his role as Joey on Full House. He featured in every episode of the eight-season sitcom, which aired from 1987 to 1995. He later reprised his role for the Fuller House spin-off, which ran from 2016 to 2020.
What is Stage 3 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma ?
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is a form of cancer that affects the white blood cells, causing them to grow abnormally and can form tumors throughout the body. Stage 3 typically means that the cancer is at an advanced stage and may have spread to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes. The most common symptom is a painless neck, armpit, or groin swelling.