Reddit Experience · Apr 2026 · Remote

Returning to SWE work after 3 years of cancer treatment

148 upvotes 58 replies

Interview Experience

I am an intermediate level mostly backend SWE with 5 years experience, mostly in Python, node, TS, etc. I did interview prep pretty well, grinded LC, and got a high TC job that I did quite well at. Ho

Full Details

I am an intermediate level mostly backend SWE with 5 years experience, mostly in Python, node, TS, etc. I did interview prep pretty well, grinded LC, and got a high TC job that I did quite well at. However, less than a year into that, I got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, worked for a couple years through treatments and then went on medical leave when I couldn't do it anymore 3 years ago. Oh, and I got laid off in the middle of that. Thankfully my cancer has been shrinking since then. Although it is still there, and I am still on chemo, I feel like I am ready to work again. I won't be going for high pressure high TC kind of jobs for sure. I haven't done much real coding for a while now, just some utility scripts and some vibe coded stuff to scratch some itches. What is the employment scene like for a developer like me? Would a team be ok with a dev who can only work 20 hours or so a week remotely for half the salary? Is grinding LC still the meta with proliferation of AI? Or is making and showcasing projects the way to go? I have a ton of questions but I would appreciate the best next steps to get hired. Thanks!

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