Convalescence (8)
I believe the answer is:
recovery
'convalescence' is the definition.
(I know that recovery is a type of convalescence)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for recovery that I've seen before include "Retrieval or recuperation" , "Act of getting better" , "Improvement" , "A return to original state, health say" , "Salvage" .)