COBRA costs more than my rent, what did you do? after 9 years as a nurse's aide

I was offered COBRA and the monthly cost is more than I expected as a nurse's aide. I do not usually post, so bear with me. My old employer will not help with the premium. How did you decide?

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.