CLL---how does it behave?

Seventy-eight year old female here. Diagnosed with bladder cancer in early 2025 and had my bladder removed that March. A CT scan during my workup revealed a hot spot in my right armpit; a biopsy revealed CLL. Very early stage. So far I've had two ivig infusions and lab work, nothing more. The lymph glands in my neck occasionally feel swollen, and I have sporadic pain in my right shoulder/back which I'm hoping is muscular or arthritis (I've seen my shoulder surgeon, and have been doing PT). I seem to still have my robust immune system.
How does CLL manifest, other than in blood counts? Are there predictable body changes or other forms of distress? How does one know when it's genuinely progressing? I can be a hypochondriac and have a fertile imagination. It would be nice to corral the pessimism!