Sara - Gab still has her dummy for naps and at night time (and when she is sick). She adores it too. For a few months I had to do what you are doing - get up just to put the dummy back in her mouth.
I have tried to get her to sleep without it but it doesn't work.
I have found the dummy to be a god-send for teething and when she was recently sick after having her chicken pox needles.
I figure if I have to get up sometimes to help her find her dummy that it's ok compared to battling to get her to go to sleep, iykwim?
It's a source of comfort for her so I don't want to get rid of it yet.
She has gotten heaps better and now that she's a bit older, she usually finds her dummy on her own anyway (so it's not as big an issue as it used to be).
I figure I'll wean her off it when she's more able to understand things like leaving it out for Santa etc.