door handle assembly coming loose

the door handle assembly on my driver's door 97 wagon is coming loose. i left the car parked for 2 months, and got back to it today. the handle is attached to an oval metal piece, which is in turn attached in some way to the door (with a gasket in between). the handle/oval piece is loose, and i can pull it 1/4" or more away from the door and rattle it around.

i cant see how it is attached right now. is there any way to fix this problem without tearing the door apart?

thanks,
anthony

No.

Just remove the trim panel and watershield, then there are 2 nuts on the back of the handle.