COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? - 12 months and counting

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a machine operator. It has been weighing on me all week. My old employer will not help with the premium. Is the decision time really that tight?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.