Saving an Aponogeton

Okay, Can one be attached to a plant beyond reason??
I’ve had this Aponogeton Crispus in the corner of one my tanks diligently hiding up-take tubes and heater cables for approx. 4 years. When it was new to me the tuber was the size of a small marble. For the first year or so…the leaves remained small (5-6 inches tall). About three years ago I discovered the wonders of adding PO4 (I had had a PO4 limited tank) the plant took off and put out and maintained leaves in the 20 inch range. Each week I was yanking out 2-3 flowering stalks. The equipment was completely out of sight. Things were good with the universe. Unfortunately, the new sprouting leaves begin to shrink about two months ago. This past Saturday I had had it! I yanked out the tuber (which was now the size of a small apple, and discovered that 25-30 percent of the tuber was rotten. I cut off all the small leaves along with the rotten portion of the tuber and stuck it in a plastic bag. So…..my question is: Can this thing be brought back to life? Is a “rest period required, and if so how? I know I could buy a replacement (cheap), but this plant has been a favorite of mine. Anything that can survive my care and feeding for better than four years deserves some consideration.
Thanks
Peter