COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? - 13 months and counting

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a graphic designer. It has been a long 7 weeks. My spouse has a chronic condition, so dropping coverage feels risky. Did anyone switch mid-year?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.