Danielle Fishel Says She Almost Skipped Red Carpet Because of Visible Breast Cancer Scars (Exclusive)

Danielle Fishel isn't letting her breast cancer diagnosis hold her back.

At the Los Angeles premiere of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place on Monday, Oct. 28, the 43-year-old actress told PEOPLE that she debated skipping the event because of her visible scars.

"I was back and forth," she said. "I obviously wanted to come tonight because I absolutely love this show. I'm so honored to have been able to direct a couple of episodes of it. And at the same time, everything I wanted to put on, I was like, 'I can see my scars in that. Oh, I can see my scars in that.'"

Eventually, though, Fishel decided to put her concerns aside and enjoy her night out.

"And then, I was like, 'Why am I going to let that be a factor in deciding to live my life?'" she explained. "I got dressed and I had my makeup artist do her magic and I feel fine. And I'm happy to be here."

The star opted for an ivory-colored midi dress with a sheer polka-dot overlay. The ensemble featured a tiered skirt and black bows for straps.

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At the premiere, the Boy Meets World alum also opened up about other ways that breast cancer has impacted her life.

"It's like, 'Wow. Even for cancer that was found at stage 0, my whole life has changed,' " she shared.

"My life has become many doctor's appointments and constantly checking up. And it'll be monitoring side effects," the actress continued. "It's not fun, but it is what it is. And with all that said, I'm very fortunate and I'm going to live, which is the most important thing."

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Fishel shared her diagnosis — an early form of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) — during the Aug. 19 episode of her podcast Pod Meets World, which she hosts alongside fellow former Boy Meets World stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle.

"It does hit me still all the time," she told PEOPLE. "Because I remember very early on when I was diagnosed ... someone said to me, 'I just want you to know, I'm so happy you found your cancer early. But there is no such thing as easy cancer.'"

The actress has had two surgeries and says that she is "99% sure" she will need radiation treatment as well as hormone therapy in the future.