CHICAGO — Joe Paterno walked gingerly up on stage, spoke quietly and looked weaker when making his first public appearance since the Blue-White game.

Intestinal issues forced Paterno to skip three alumni speaking events this summer, and the coach’s health was the No. 1 story line surrounding Penn State football on the first of two Big Ten media days Monday at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.

“I’m tired,” Paterno said, “of answering the same dumb question about my health.”

That didn’t stop reporters from firing them at him.

Paterno constantly reiterated he is feeling fine and said he was only affected in terms of making public appearances because he had trouble controlling his bowel movements. His health has not kept him from watching film, meeting with recruits or preparing for the upcoming season, and he said he expects to coach from the sidelines.

“Well, you know, again, what did Mark Twain say, the rumor of my death has been over-exaggerated or something, I forget,” Paterno said. “I really didn’t lose any time. The problem I had was not having control of some things, and I had to be careful that I didn’t get myself in a position where I would embarrass myself. I hope I’m ready to go. I think I am. I’ve done my homework.”

Paterno drew the most laughs of the 11 Big Ten coaches, with plenty of other witty remarks about the media and about his health, specifically in response to a question on whether his ailment was intestinal-related.

“It was a little bit below the intestines,” he quipped.

But Paterno’s health is no laughing matter, not when you’re talking about an 83-year-old who looked his age for the first time since seen using a cane because of a hip injury.

As he did in 2008, Paterno moves forward. He said his illness and lack of travel has not affected recruiting.

Still, Paterno spoke softly, pausing several times before answering questions in a ballroom filled with Big Ten media and TV cameras broadcasting to a national audience. He wouldn’t say if he’s taking any medicine but confirmed he had dropped some weight.

Former Penn State quarterback and current ESPN analyst Todd Blackledge said he noticed Paterno speaking without vivacity Monday, but he wasn’t sure it could be attributed to health reasons.

“For a lot of us, going to the dentist is what this is like for Joe,” Blackledge said. “He wasn’t as playful. Maybe he wasn’t as vibrant as he’s been in the past, but I think part of that is that he just wants to go back home and coach.”

If or when Paterno decides to retire, he said hopes the university will consult him in terms of making a decision on a future coach but doesn’t expect to have final say.

When asked about the growing sentiment Paterno will coach until he dies, he shoved aside the idea of retirement as something he isn’t considering right now but left the door open that 2010 could be his last year.

“I feel really good,” Paterno said. “As long as I enjoy it, I’ll continue to coach … Right now I have no plans whatsoever as far as whether I’m going to go another year, two years, five years.”

Senior guard Stefen Wisniewski, in Chicago along with running back Evan Royster and cornerback D’Anton Lynn, said Paterno “definitely doesn’t like hearing about it,” and agreed with Blackledge, noting Paterno would be fine once the season begins.

“To me he seems to still have the same energy, the same fire, the same passion that he always does,” Wisniewski said. “We’re expecting him to be same old fiery Joe.”