Scott ,
Use your lady's hair dryer and warm the handle without burning the EVA grip by wrapping it with aluminium foil , if this does not work , cool the ferrule at the same time using ice , this should work . Twisting the rod and the handle will pry open the stuck joint .
Do not sand the bare ferrule because in the future you will get too loose a connection and the rod will fly off after a few strong cast , my decade old LR86 had to be relaminated almost every a couple of years to give it enough thickness for good grip on the handle to prevent it from flying off .
Jon .