First you 'recover' from your illness. That's recovery. Then you have a period where you are not ill any more, but you need some time to rest and get your strength back - this is recuperation or convalescence. I'm not sure of the exact difference between the two, but convalescence sounds more old-fashioned (old ladies in with blankets tucked around them) , whereas recuperation feels a bit more modern and medical (might include eg physiotherapy).