Senior Investment Professional Would Like Advice From Another Senior

After graduation, for two decades, I had great success in the investment business. I have a BA from Stanford, an MBA from Kellogg, and a CFA. I have worked progressively as an analyst and assistant PM at long only shop ($15b), managed a carve out and evaluated private equity at a $1b opportunistic hedge fund in a family office, moved to a new hedge fund started by the MD of the prior fund (opportunistic and private equity), and, finally, went back to my original long only firm to manage a $450m fund where I achieved top decile performance for several years.

I was then in the process of being seeded with $350m for part of a multi-strat fund when I became very sick. My illness was lengthy but I am 100% recovered. Ready to go back, I was unexpectedly faced with taking care of an ailing parent, which added to my absence from working full-time. I supplemented my time away with substantive advisory work to small and start-up companies. The bottom line is that I am trying to go back now as a pm, however, my absence seems to lead people to dismiss my very real successes and experience and only see the "gap" in my resume.

I used to get several calls a week from headhunters when I was managing the different funds. Now, it is hard to generate any interest from executive recruiters and contacting firms cold has been like selling aluminum siding. Few people will take my calls or read, well-thought and targeted cover letters and resumes. It's almost like I just graduated from college and am throwing darts at prospective employers.

I would love some advice/guidance from those of you on the senior side who would be hiring someone like me. How can I get through to people at the firms I have identified where there is a fit? Why don't people seem to care that I have had better results than people working for them? What is the most sensible and likely way for me to get back in the door? Thank you in advance.