Has anyone had to wean their 2 1/2 year old from their pacifier before? So hard seeing them want it so badly.?

He cries so miserably at night, and when he's upset during the day. I feel as if I am taking apart of him away from him. He sounds so adorable asking me for it in that baby voice, and I just ignore him and tell him that I will look for it. He's getting up during the night asking with a weary wine, but I just hold him and say ok. I feel so bad taking him through this. My husband said I should not have taken him off last Friday cold turkey, but I explained he's had the croup and a febrile seizure due to it last week which scared me. He's in preschool, so I want to try to minimize his contact with germs since he sucks on his pacifier all day there. If it falls, I'm not there to wash off the germs, so I've decided not to send him to school tomorrow with a pacifier. Hopefully tomorrow he'll forget to ask for it during his nap time and won't keep all the other children awake due to tantrums.