Dave Coulier appreciates the small moments during his cancer diagnosis.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Full house actor, 65, tells how he leaned on family and friends after learning he has stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October.

While he notes that his diagnosis has been “a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey,” he adds that his wife Melissa Bring and son Luc have been his biggest motivation while he was undergoing chemotherapy, especially after seeing their reaction to his cancer news .

“I looked at how those words affected (my wife) and I thought, ‘You know what? “I will be strong all the time, not just for me, but I will be strong for her,” he said.

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He adds that it was especially “difficult” to tell his son Luc, 33, because he is currently expecting his first baby, a boy, with his wife Alex, making Coulier a first-time grandfather.

With his first grandchild due in March, a month after Coulier is expected to complete chemotherapy, he notes that there is a lot to look forward to in the coming months, including introducing his future grandson to all his favorite hobbies, including hockey and football. aircraft.

“You’re talking about an apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. My son Luc plays hockey three days a week. When he was a baby, I used to take him as a pilot, and now he’s a pilot for FedEx,” he says of his son, whom he shares with ex-wife Jayne Modean.

During his cancer journey, Coulier says he gained a new perspective on life.

“We all have choices in life,” he notes. “You can laugh through the hard times and try to see the glass half full, or you can go the other way, which doesn’t really help. And so I made it – the choice was kind of made for me – you’re going to get through this, but you’re going to help some other people along the way.

Despite being “stunned” by his cancer diagnosis, he said he was ultimately “remarkably calm about whatever the outcome would be.”

“I don’t know how to explain it, but there was an inner peace,” he says, noting that his own family’s experiences with cancer inspired him, including his late mother, sister and niece.

“They really instilled that in me and inspired me in a way, because they were amazing at what they were experiencing, and I just thought, ‘I’m okay with this too. I’ve had an incredible life on a journey with incredible people around me, and I’m doing well.” It certainly changes the perspective. All the clichés start out like, “Don’t worry about the little things” and “Glass half full,” really trickle down to the top and shape who you really are.