What most people would dismiss as a minor cough or cold has become something much more serious for Full House star Dave Coulier. Just four days before his February 26 interview with Parade, the 65-year-old actor was discharged from a Detroit-area hospital following an unexpected multi-night stay caused by a rhinovirus – what many would consider just a common cold. This health scare came after his October 2024 diagnosis of stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Joining the Zoom call from his home in St. Clair, Michigan, Coulier appeared remarkably upbeat and energetic. If not for his lack of hair (which he jokes has led to an expanding hat collection), one might never guess he’s in the midst of a cancer battle. The beloved comedian recently completed his sixth round of chemotherapy, but the journey hasn’t been easy.
“I started to get pretty sick,” Coulier shared with Parade. “I didn’t know I had caught a virus. I was in bed for about 10 days, trying to figure out, ‘Do I have a cold? Am I just feeling the side effects of chemo? What’s going on?'” His cancer diagnosis originally came after an upper respiratory infection caused unusual swelling in his lymph nodes. This recent hospitalization revealed ground-glass opacity (GGO) in his lungs – a condition that appears on scans like tiny glass particles. Combined with the cold virus, it was “wreaking havoc” on his already compromised system.
Coulier credits his wife Melissa with potentially saving his life by insisting he seek medical attention. Doctors later told him that without that intervention, they “might not have been able to turn this around.” The chemotherapy treatments have taken a significant physical and emotional toll. “The symptoms got worse with each treatment,” Coulier admitted. “Neuropathy, nausea, dizziness – all increased. The ‘chemo brain’ made me foggy. Some days, I just didn’t want to do anything.”
By his sixth round, the fatigue became overwhelming. “I didn’t have the will to get out of bed,” he confessed. “I wanted to be active, to work around the house, but I just couldn’t.” The experience was so draining that Coulier forgot to participate in the traditional “ringing the bell” ceremony when completing treatment. “I was in such a daze when I walked out of the hospital,” he recalled. “My wife looked at me when we got in the car and said, ‘We forgot to ring the bell.'”
Despite the challenges, Coulier remains characteristically optimistic. “I’m feeling pretty darn good,” he says with his trademark smile. His positive outlook reflects the same determination that carried him from Detroit comedy clubs to television stardom. Long before becoming America’s favorite TV uncle Joey Gladstone on Full House, Coulier was a struggling stand-up comedian who caught his big break when the late Bob Saget scribbled his number on a napkin after a Detroit show.
That fateful encounter led to Coulier crashing on Saget’s couch in Los Angeles, eventually landing the role that would make him a household name. Now facing his toughest challenge yet, Coulier continues to draw on the resilience and humor that defined his career. With chemotherapy behind him, he’s focused on recovery, gratitude, and perhaps adding a few more hats to his growing collection.
